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![Show Contents]() Donel Surname History
The west coast of Scotland and the rocky Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the Donel family. The root of their name is the personal name Donald. the surname is derived from the Gaelic Mac Dhomhnuill, which means son of Donald; it is a form of the surname MacDonald. Early Origins of the Donel familyThe surname Donel was first found in Inverness, where the origins of this name can be traced back to Somerled, Regulus of the Isles, who evicted the Norsemen from the Western Isles during the 12th century. From him is descended John Macdonald, first Lord of the Isles, and it was MacDonald's younger son, Ranald, who was the progenitor of Clanrald, which includes the families of Moidart, Morar, Knoidart and Glengarry. The MacDonells are from this last branch. It is from Ranald's son, Donald, that the MacDonell's take their name (Son of Donald). There is also a branch of the MacDonells that claim Ranald's other son, Alistair, as its progenitor (the Keppoch branch). Early History of the Donel familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Donel research. Another 376 words (27 lines of text) covering the years 1211, 1411, 1575, 1609, 1647, 1672, 1683, 1745, 1749, 1790, 1794, 1812 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Donel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Donel Spelling VariationsSpelling and translation were not standardized practices until the last few centuries. Spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Donel has been spelled MacDonnell, MacDonnel, McDonnell, MacDonell and others. Early Notables of the Donel familyMore information is included under the topic Early Donel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Donel family to Ireland
Some of the Donel family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Donel migration to the United States | + |
Numerous Scottish settlers settled along the east coast of the colonies that would become the United States and Canada. Others traveled to the open country of the west. At the time of the American War of Independence, some remained in the United States, while those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The highland games and Clan societies that sprang up across North America in the 20th century have helped many Scots to recover parts of their lost traditions. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Donels to arrive in North America:
Donel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Philip Donel, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1767 1
Donel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- James Donel, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Donel (post 1700) | + |
- Donel Wyman, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1996 2
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Donel migration to the United States 
Ireland-Alt
Scotland
