| ![Show Contents]() McDonal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland Ireland The McDonal family comes from the ancient Scottish Dalriadan clans of the mountainous west coast of Scotland. The name McDonal is derived from the Anglicized version of the Gaelic personal name Mac Dhomhnuill. McDonal is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. The surname McDonal arose from the vernacular naming tradition, whereby surnames were formed by adopting the given name of one's father, or another ancestor. This name was first found in Kintyre, where members of this family had resided for many years. Most historians note the name claims descent through the High Kings of Ireland, namely Colla Uais and Conn of the Hundred Battles. Movement between Scotland and Ireland was very frequent over the centuries. 1 Early Origins of the McDonal familyThe surname McDonal was first found in Kintyre, and much of the Eastern islands and coast-lands where members of this Clan, descended through Somerled, Lord of the Isles and had resided for many years. Early History of the McDonal familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McDonal research. Another 300 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1329, 1335, 1336, 1341, 1342, 1386, 1415, 1420, 1424, 1449, 1456, 1498, 1603, 1692 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McDonal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McDonal Spelling VariationsSpelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McDonal has appeared in various documents spelled MacDonald, Macdonald, McDonald, Donaldson, MacDonny and many more. Early Notables of the McDonal familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was John of Islay, or John MacDonald, (d. 1386), the first Lord of the Isles (1336-1386) and chief of Clan Donald. He was he was the son of Angus Og Macdonald, who died at Isla about 1329, and was buried at Icolmkill. The Macdonalds trace their descent from Donald, elder son of Refinald, second son of Sommerled of Argyll, king of the Isles. On account of a dispute with the regent regarding certain lands, John of Isla joined the party of Edward Baliol, to whom, in consideration of a grant of the lands of...
Another 354 words (25 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McDonal Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the McDonal family to Ireland
Some of the McDonal family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| McDonal 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 McDonal or a variant listed above:
McDonal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Matthew McDonal, who landed in New York, NY in 1825 2
- Lewis McDonal, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 2
- Russell J McDonal, who arrived in Arkansas in 1873 2
| Contemporary Notables of the name McDonal (post 1700) | + |
- F. J. McDonal, American geophysics researcher at the Magnolia Petroleum Company, Field Research Laboratory, Dallas, Texas
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 sea and by land.
- O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
- 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)
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McDonal migration to the United States 
