McDoughal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The western coast of Scotland and the desolate Hebrides islands are the ancient home of the McDoughal family. Their name is derived from the personal name Dougal. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Dhughaill and literally means son of Dougal.

Early Origins of the McDoughal family

The surname McDoughal 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 McDoughal family

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

McDoughal Spelling Variations

Spelling variations were extremely common in medieval names, since scribes from that era recorded names according to sound rather than a standard set of rules. McDoughal has appeared in various documents spelled MacDougall, MacDowall, MacDowell, MacDugald, MacDill and many more.

Early Notables of the McDoughal family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McDoughal Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McDoughal family to Ireland

Some of the McDoughal 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.

McDoughal 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:

McDoughal Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John McDOUGHAL, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840

The McDoughal 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