Show ContentsMacDougal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In the mountains of Scotland's west coast and on the Hebrides islands, the ancestors of the MacDougal family were born. Their name comes from the personal name Dougal. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Dhughaill and literally means son of Dougal.

Early Origins of the MacDougal family

The surname MacDougal was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), where they were descended from Dugall eldest son of Somerled, first Lord of the Isles, and his son Duncan who received the lands of Lorn. The Clan was a bitter foe of Robert the Bruce, who made a narrow escape during one battle with the MacDougals only by discarding his cloak. The brooch of this cloak, now known as the Brooch of Lorn, is a treasured possession of the Chief of the Clan. The Clan faced heavy retaliation and was stripped of their lands once Robert the Bruce secured the Scottish throne. The lands were restored to the Clan upon the death of the king, but passed to the Stewarts in 1388 when the last member of the senior branch of MacDougals died without issue.

Early History of the MacDougal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacDougal research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1175, 1244 and 1316 are included under the topic Early MacDougal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacDougal Spelling Variations

In various documents MacDougal has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacDougall, MacDowall, MacDowell, MacDugald, MacDill and many more.

Early Notables of the MacDougal family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Donnchadh of Argyll or Donnchadh mac Dubhghaill (c. 1175-1244), Scottish noble, the first of the MacDougall lords of Argyll to take the title de Argadia

Ireland Migration of the MacDougal family to Ireland

Some of the MacDougal family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States MacDougal migration to the United States +

The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name MacDougal or a variant listed above include:

MacDougal Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ralph, Patrick and Mary MacDougal, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767
  • Dougal and Hugh MacDougal, who settled in Charles Town in 1767
MacDougal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John MacDougal, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 [1]
  • Mary MacDougal, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name MacDougal (post 1700) +

  • Gary Edward MacDougal (b. 1936), American former Chairman and Chief Executive of Mark Controls Corporation
  • John Mochrie MacDougal (b. 1954), American botanist, noted for his work on passion flowers
  • Frederick A. MacDougal (1876-1878), American politician, 14th Mayor of Los Angeles
  • Robert Meiklejohn "Mike" MacDougal (b. 1977), American Major League Baseball relief pitcher
  • Roy L. MacDougal, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Delegate to New York State Constitutional Convention 1st District, 1966 [2]
  • Harry MacDougal, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1964 [2]
  • Frederick A. MacDougal (d. 1878), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Los Angeles, California, 1876-78 [2]


The MacDougal 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: Buaidh no bàs
Motto Translation: Victory or death


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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