McDonald History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland-Alt
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of McDonald

What does the name McDonald mean?

The old Scottish-Dalriadan name McDonald is derived from the Anglicized version of the Gaelic personal name Mac Dhomhnuill. McDonald is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. The surname McDonald 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. (O'Hart)

McDonald Coat of Arms Creation

The story of the cross is that an ancestor of the MacDonalds helped St Patrick to establish Christianity in Ireland, and in this way had the cross associated with his name.

The MacDonald motto is in Gaelic " Air muir 's air tir " ; in Latin, " Per mare per terras."

Sir Walter Scott in The Lord of the Isles writes :-

" Lord of the Isles, my trust's in thee

As firm as Ailsa rock ;

Rush on with Highland sword and targe,

I with my Carrick spearmen charge,

Go forward to the shock." 1

Early Origins of the McDonald family

The surname McDonald 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 McDonald family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McDonald 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 McDonald History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDonald Spelling Variations

Translation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of McDonald include MacDonald, Macdonald, McDonald, Donaldson, MacDonny and many more.

Early Notables of the McDonald family

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 Mull, Skye, Isla, Gigha, Kintyre, Knapdale, &c., he...
Another 354 words (25 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McDonald Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDonald World Ranking

the United States, the name McDonald is the 117^th most popular surname with an estimated 186,525 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name McDonald is ranked the 52^nd most popular surname with an estimated 37,703 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name McDonald is the 465^th popular surname. 4 Australia ranks McDonald as 30^th with 48,189 people. 5 New Zealand ranks McDonald as 39^th with 5,539 people. 6 The United Kingdom ranks McDonald as 893^rd with 7,674 people. 7

Migration of the McDonald family to Ireland

Some of the McDonald 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.

McDonald migration to the United States +

These settlers arrived in North America at a time when the east was burgeoning with prosperous colonies and the expanses of the west were just being opened up. The American War of Independence was also imminent. Some Scots stayed to fight for a new country, while others who remained loyal went north as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of them went on to rediscover their heritage in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic Scottish events. The McDonald were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

McDonald Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Bryan McDonald, who arrived in New Castle, Del in 1690 9

McDonald Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Caul McDonald, who arrived in South Carolina in 1716 9
Rose McDonald, who arrived in South Carolina in 1716 9
Randal McDonald, who arrived in New England in 1718 9
Mary McDonald, who landed in New York in 1738 9
Anna McDonald, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDonald Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Allen McDonald, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1802 9
Thomas McDonald, who arrived in America in 1806 9
Daniel McDonald, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1806 9
Archibald McDonald, who arrived in America in 1809 9
James Peter McDonald, aged 37, who landed in New York in 1812 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDonald Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Robert Walter McDonald, who arrived in Mississippi in 1900 9
W A McDonald, who arrived in Mississippi in 1900 9
James Edward McDonald, who arrived in Mississippi in 1900 9
Hans Peter McDonald, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1907 9
Samuel McDonald, who landed in Alabama in 1921 9

McDonald migration to Canada +

McDonald Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Peter McDonald, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Donald McDonald, who landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773
Catherine McDonald, who landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773
Alex McDonald, who arrived in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773
Andrew McDonald, who arrived in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDonald Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William McDonald, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
Mary McDonald, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
Margaret McDonald, aged 6, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
Mary McDonald, aged 2, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
Mary McDonald, aged 5, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDonald migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Mr. William Mcdonald, British settler convicted in Reading, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing fabric, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8
Mr. William Mcdonald, (1769 - 1795), aged 20, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to Life for the, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9
Mr. Hugh Mcdonald, (b. 1758), aged 31, Irish settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for shop lifting, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9
Miss Eleanor Mcdonald, (1754 - 1835), aged 33, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9

Second Fleet

Mr. Alexander Mcdonald, British settler convicted in Norfolk, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. Donald Mcdonald, British settler convicted in Durham, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. Edward Mcdonald, (1745 - 1840), aged 45, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the ship "Active" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Miss Eleanor McDonald, (1770 - 1831), aged 20, Irish settler convicted in Dublin, Ireland in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a watch, transported aboard the ship "Queen" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. Thomas Mcdonald, British settler convicted in London, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Active" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9

Third Fleet

Mr. Alexander McDonald, (b. 1757), aged 30, English settler convicted in London on 8th December 1784, sentenced for 7 years for stealing clothing, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 9
Mr. John Mcdonald, British private on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788
Mr. John "William" Mcdonald, (1763 - 1788), Irish seaman on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMAT Supply" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788, he died aboard the ship

Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

McDonald Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Flora Mcdonald, (b. 1742), aged 51, Irish convict who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Boddingtons" on 15th February 1793, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1800 10

McDonald Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael McDonald, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Francis McDonald, English convict from Devon, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr.Charles Mcdonald, Irish settler who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Francis and Eliza" on 15th December 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Donald McDonald, Scottish convict who was convicted in Inverness, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. John Mcdonald, Scottish labourer who was convicted in Inverness, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDonald migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

McDonald Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Peter McDONALD, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
W H McDONALD, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Glenbevie
William McDONALD, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Adam Cummings McDONALD, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
D McDONALD, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Blenheim
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McDonald (post 1700) +

Arthur Bruce "Art" McDonald OC OOnt FRS FRSC (b. 1943), Canadian astrophysicist, Director of Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Institute, Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) of London, co-recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics
Susann McDonald (1935-2025), American classical harpist, made a number of recordings and held significant academic and organizational posts
Marguerite B. McDonald MD, FACS (b. 1951), American eye surgeon and clinical professor of ophthalmology who performed the world's first laser-vision correction procedure
Allan J. McDonald (d. 2021), American engineer, aerospace consultant, author and the director of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Project for Morton-Thiokol, a NASA subcontractor
General Charles Clarence McDonald (1933-2017), United States Air Force general, Commander of the Air Force Logistics Command (COMAFLC) from 1989 to 1992
Steven McDonald (1957-2017), American NYPD detective who was shot and paralyzed on July 12, 1986, leaving him a quadriplegic, eponym of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award sponsored by the New York Rangers hockey team
Forrest McDonald (1927-2016), American historian, considered one of the foremost historians of the U.S. Constitution and of the early American period
Andrew Joseph McDonald (1923-2014), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Little Rock from 1972 to 2000
Eugene F. McDonald (1886-1958), American founder of Zenith Radio in 1921
... (Another 315 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McDonald family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Miss Shirley Jane Mcdonald (1944-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Palmerston North, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 15
Anne McDonald (b. 1825), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
William McDonald (b. 1827), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
Bernard McDonald (b. 1825), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
Mr. Charles Keven McDonald (d. 1914), British Junior 4th Engineer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
... (Another 37 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The McDonald 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: Per mare per terras
Motto Translation: By sea and by land.

Sources +

Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/boddingtons
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html