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![Show Contents]() Donel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The ancestors of the Donel family come from the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The family name comes from 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 VariationsHistorical recordings of the name Donel include many spelling variations. They are the result of repeated translations of the name from Gaelic to English and inconsistencies in spelling rules. They include 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 | + |
Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Donel or a variant listed above:
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
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Per mare, per terras
Motto Translation: By water and land.
- 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
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