Show ContentsMcDowell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of McDowell

What does the name McDowell mean?

The McDowell family name comes from the personal name Dougal. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Dhughaill and literally means "son of Dougal." The personal name Dougal, meaning "dark stranger." 1 2

"The claim of the Macdowells of Galloway to be descended from the ancient native lords of Galloway can neither be disproved nor can it be satisfactorily established." 3

Early Origins of the McDowell family

The surname McDowell was first found in South Ayrshire where "Mactheuel witnessed a charter by Uchtredus filius Fergusi of the church of Colmanele (now known as Colmonell) in the reign of Malcolm IV. Fergus McDuhile in Wigton was juror on inquest at Berwick, 1296, and in same year as Fergus MacDowilt rendered homage [to King Edward I of England.] He is probably the Fergus MacDowile who witnessed a charter by William, lord of Douglas, 1306-29 (RHM., l, p. 13). In 1307 a pardon was granted Elyas de Vaus at the request of Duncan MacDuel, and in same year Dungall MacDouyl, senior, for services rendered, requested for his son Dungal, junior, the marriage of the daughter and heiress of Hugh de Champaigne, deceased, a tenant in capite." 3

Early History of the McDowell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McDowell research. Another 372 words (27 lines of text) covering the years 1268, 1312, 1347, 1354, 1359, 1363, 1390, 1416, 1515, 1578, 1590, 1597, 1602, 1603, 1605, 1609, 1621, 1650, 1653, 1666, 1675, 1677, 1684, 1685, 1690, 1708, 1739, 1743, 1744, 1755, 1760, 1766, 1824 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McDowell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McDowell Spelling Variations

The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years McDowell has appeared as MacDowall, MacDowell, MacDugald, MacDill, Dowall, Dowler and many more.

Early Notables of the McDowell family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

  • Benjamin McDowell (1739-1824), Presbyterian divine, son of Ephraim McDowell, an Irish emigrant, from Connor, co. Antrim, was born at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, on 25 Dec. 1739. He was educated at the...

McDowell Ranking

In the United States, the name McDowell is the 626th most popular surname with an estimated 47,253 people with that name. 4 However, in New Zealand, the name McDowell is ranked the 631st most popular surname with an estimated 1,127 people with that name. 5

Migration of the McDowell family to Ireland

Some of the McDowell family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


McDowell migration to the United States +

Many of the ancestors of Dalriadan families who arrived in North America still live in communities along the east coast of Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence many of the original settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the ancestors of many Scots began recovering their collective national heritage through Clan societies, highland games, and other patriotic events. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name McDowell or a variant listed above:

McDowell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ephraim McDowell, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1729-1735 6
  • Ephrahim McDowell, who landed in Virginia in 1739 6
  • Jane McDowell, who landed in Virginia in 1739 6
  • Margaret McDowell, who landed in Virginia in 1739 6
  • Martha McDowell, who arrived in Virginia in 1739 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
McDowell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Hugh McDowell, aged 50, who landed in Louisiana in 1812 6
  • Thomas McDowell, aged 40, who arrived in South Carolina in 1812 6
  • Andrew McDowell, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1813 6
  • Joseph McDowell, who arrived in New York in 1819 6
  • Samuel Douglas McDowell, who arrived in South Carolina in 1824 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McDowell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McDowell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • David McDowell, who landed in Canada in 1840
  • Hiram McDowell, who arrived in Canada in 1840
  • Mr. Owen McDowell, aged 35 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Erin's Queen" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 7

McDowell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McDowell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Fanny McDowell, aged 32, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Rodney" 8
  • Agnes McDowell, aged 20, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Flora" 9
  • Mary McDowell, aged 29, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Flora" 9
  • Annabella McDowell, aged 22, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "North"

McDowell 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:

McDowell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John McDOWELL, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • Miss Charlotte Jane Mcdowell (Gambel), (b. 1834), aged 13, Irish settler born in Jamaica travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 10
  • Mr. James McDowell, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Philip Laing" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 15th April 1848 10
  • Mr. Atkinson Mcdowell, (b. 1844), aged 19, British school master, from Hereford travelling from London aboard the ship "Metropolis" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th June 1863 11
  • John McDowell, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1863
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McDowell (post 1700) +

  • Gene McDowell (1940-2021), American college football head coach of the UCF Knights (1985–1997)
  • Michael McEachern McDowell (1950-1999), American two-time Hugo Award nominated novelist and screenwriter
  • Irvin McDowell (1818-1885), American Major General, best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run
  • Brigadier-General Rex McKinley McDowell (1893-1984), American Assistant Director Office of the Surgeon General US Army (1939-1945) 12
  • Paul L. McDowell (1905-1962), American Olympic bronze medalist rower at the 1928 Summer Olympics
  • Charles T. McDowell (1921-2007), American academic and military officer
  • Johnny McDowell (1915-1952), American Indy 500 racecar driver
  • Ephraim McDowell (1771-1830), American physician
  • Donald McDowell, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 8½ aerial victories
  • Arthur V. McDowell, American politician, Mayor of Middletown, Connecticut, 1918-19 13
  • ... (Another 78 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Halifax Explosion
  • Miss Eileen  McDowell (1911-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 14
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Albert McDowell (b. 1922), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 15
USS Indianapolis
  • Robert Earl Mcdowell, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 16


The McDowell 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: Vincere vel mori
Motto Translation: Victory


Suggested Readings for the name McDowell +

  • Historic Families of Kentucky by Thomas Marshall Green.
  • McDowells in American by Dorothy Kelly MacDowell.

  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  6. 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)
  7. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 44)
  8. South Australian Register Wednesday 21st February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Rodney 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/rodney1855.shtml
  9. South Australian Register Monday 9th April 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Flora 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/flora1855.shtml
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, February 12) Rex McDowell. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McDowell/Rex_McKinley/USA.html
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  14. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  15. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  16. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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