MacDonah History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

All Irish surnames have underlying meanings that can be traced back to their fullest points when the names first appeared in a Gaelic form. The name MacDonah originally appeared in Gaelic as Mac Donnchadha, which means son of Donnchadh or son of Donagh.

Early Origins of the MacDonah family

The surname MacDonah was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the MacDonah family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacDonah research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1698, 1728, 1746, 1779, 1850, 1878 and 1916 are included under the topic Early MacDonah History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacDonah Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages a name was spelt by scribes solely based on how it sounded, one's name could have been recorded many different ways during the life of its bearer. Numerous spelling variations were revealed in the search for the origin of the name MacDonah family name. Variations found include Donaghey, McDonogh, McDonnogh, McDonagh and many more.

Early Notables of the MacDonah family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacDonah Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacDonah migration to the United States +

Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination at that time. Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the MacDonah family name:

MacDonah Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas MacDonah, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1812 1

The MacDonah 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: Virtutis gloria merces
Motto Translation: Glory is the reward of valour.

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)