MacDaniell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

The Clan from whom the MacDaniell family descends began among the ancient Dalriadan kingdom of the west coast of Scotland. Their name comes from the personal name Donald. The name MacDaniell results from an erroneous Anglicization of the Gaelic name Mac Dhomnuill, which means son of Donald and is normally Anglicized MacDonald. The confusion is a result of the similar sound of the given names Daniel and Donald.

Early Origins of the MacDaniell family

The surname MacDaniell was first found in Argyleshire, where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the MacDaniell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacDaniell research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the year 1890 is included under the topic Early MacDaniell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacDaniell Spelling Variations

Historical recordings of the name MacDaniell 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 MacDaniel, MacDaniell, MacDanell and others.

Early Notables of the MacDaniell family

More information is included under the topic Early MacDaniell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacDaniell family to Ireland

Some of the MacDaniell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacDaniell migration to the United States +

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

MacDaniell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alexander Macdaniell, who landed in Maryland in 1674 1

The MacDaniell Motto +

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: Toujours pret
Motto Translation: Always ready.

Citations +

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)