This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Donald.' The Scotch patronymic is Macdonald, but in the Lowlands and on the Border the more English form was Donalds and Donaldson.

Donaldus de Heselrigg, 35 Edward III: Hodgson's Northumberland, iv. go.

Donaldus Palfreman, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Danald, 1379: ibid.

An Englishing of Macdonald, which see. Lucas filius Douenaldi de Lumenach (Lennox), a Scots prisoner of war in Berkhamstede, 1296 (Bain, IV, p. 358). Henry Donaldson was one of the garrison of Edinburgh Castle in 1339—40 (ibia., III, p. 241). William filius Donaldi was a tenant under Douglas in Moffat, 1376 (RHM., I, p. lxii). Neuen (i.e. Niven) Donaldson was transferred to the jurisdiction of the court of regality of Logy, 1392 (Grandtully, I, p. 143). David Donaldson was one of the tenants of Camsy (Campsie) in 1443, and Jak Donaldson leased part of Cowpar Grange in 1453 (Cupar-Angus, I, p. 121,129). The name is found in Aberdeenshire as early as 1419 (REA., II, p. 218), and Donaldsons were important individuals in Strathdee in early sixteenth century. Alexander Donaldson, son of Donald Symonson in Inverness, is in record in 1481 (Invernessiana, p. 154). Thomas Donaldson was tenant of Drumnamerk, Ardmanoch, 1504 (ER., XII p. 661), and Patrick Donaldsoun was keeper of the king's wardrobe in 1516 and following years (ALHT., V), Jean Dodson (i.e. Donaldson) in Kinclevin, 1685 (DPD., I, p. 488). Donaldsone 1503, Donaldsoune 1491, Donnaldsone 1695.

Donald’s Son: v. Donald.

(Scottish, English) The son of Donald (dark or brown-haired stranger).

The son of Donald.

The surname MacDonald means ‘descendant of Donald’ and comes from the Scots Gaelic Mac Dhomhnuill. The origin of the first name Dhomhnuill was a nickname meaning no less than ‘world ruler’. Not being a backward modest people, the Scots adopted this name in large numbers, and it soon became one of the most popular first names in the land, being held by several kings and one saint (in the ninth century). The abbreviation Don also became widespread, though the formal Donal is more an Irish usage.

According to George Black, the greatest expert on Scottish names, strictly speaking there is no such name as MacDonald, (because the Gaelic Mac Dhomhnuill really means ‘son of a particular Donald’). This holds true for all the ‘Mac’ names.

The MacDonalds are one of the major Scottish clans, whose chieftains are descended directly from Donald, son of Reginald (Old Norse Ragnaldr), second son of the great Somerled (Old Norse Sumarlithr), Lord of the Isles, so the line is ultimately Scandinavian. The Scots Gaelic name for the clan is Clann Domhnuill. The clan can claim to be the most numerous and widespread of all the Scottish clans. However, not all clan members are of pure descent-through the centuries the Clan MacDonald absorbed several minor family clans and ‘broken’ men (who had left or ‘broken from’ their own clans).

A popular verbal variant of the original MacDonald is the name MacConnell, which is found particularly in Ulster. Another popular variant name is MacDonell. Yet these are the tip of the iceberg compared with the many variations in the ancient records which tried to transliterate from the original Gaelic. These range from Maconhale (1588) through McConnil (1564) to M’Donnyle (1326). Fortunately, most of these variants have now become absorbed into the more standard forms. The earliest reference to the name in any form in the records is in the Dublin lists for 1257, where one Robert Dovenald appears.

McDonald’s hamburger chain, the largest restaurant group in the world with nearly 6,000 restaurants in 25 countries, was founded by brothers Maurice and Richard McDonald whose parents emigrated to the United States from County Mayo. Since the first outlet opened in 1948 the company has sold over 22 billion hamburgers. Sales in one year alone totalled over £2,287 million.

Alistair MacDonnell, called ‘Pickle the Spy’, was a Scottish chieftain of dubious integrity employed by Highland leaders on a secret mission to Charles Stuart, Pretender to the English throne. When captured by the English, he promptly switched his allegiance and agreed to spy on the Prince.

MacDonalds have had a way of getting to the top in politics. Ramsay MacDonald, an illegitimate child who grew up in poverty and left school at the age of 12, overcame these handicaps to become Britain’s first Labour Prime Minister. Two John MacDonalds have been Prime Ministers of Canada: Sir John A. MacDonald, as Canada’s first Prime Minister, is known as ‘the father of Confederation’, while Prime Minister John Sandfield Macdonald, unlike Sir John, violently opposed federation.

Scottish-born Sir James Ronald Leslie Macdonald, soldier and explorer, first made a geographical exploration of British East Africa (now Kenya and Uganda), and later mapped the Lake Victoria area.

MacDonalds have been notable for getting into tight spots, then extricating themselves with great skill. After his crushing defeat at Culloden, Flora MacDonald (1722—90) helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from the Hebrides dressed in her maid’s clothes. The British briefly imprisoned, then pardoned, her.

Jacques-Alexandre MacDonald (1765—1840) had a brilliant career as one of Napoleon’s top generals (his winter crossing of the Alps was favourably compared to Napoleon’s own crossing of the St Bernard Pass). Arrested for anti- Bonapartist plots, he was regarded as so indispensable that he was pardoned and recalled to duty when France was threatened by Austria. He went on to be a Marshal of Empire and member of the Legion of Honour.

Sir Hector MacDonald (1853—1903) distinguished himself in the Afghan War, the Boer War and the Sudan where, as a major-general in command of Egyptian troops, he became a national hero and was voted Parliament’s thanks.

When foreign legations in Peking were besieged by thousands of marauding Chinese during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, British diplomat Sir Claude Maxwell Macdonald was in command.

The sixteenth-century Irish chieftain of Scottish descent, Sorley Boy MacDonnell, was tricked by the English into battling it out with his rival Shane O’Neill over disputed lands in Ulster. When O’Neill retaliated vigorously, MacDonnell was defeated. Twenty-two years later Sorley Boy was confirmed in his possessions by Elizabeth I and became Constable of Dunluce Castle.

There are no MacDonald towns or major geographic features in the United Kingdom. Around the world there are 2 towns named McDonald in the US and a MacDonald Downs in Australia. Both countries also have McDonald lakes while Australia and Canada have MacDonald Ranges. There is a MacDonald Island in the Indian Ocean and a MacDonald Rock in the Pacific.

With about 30,000 namesakes MacDonald and McDonald form Scotland’s 2nd most popular surname-thus about one out of every 103 Scots is so named. (The name is not common enough throughout England and Wales to be counted separately.) MacDonald and McDonald are notably popular in and around Glasgow where an estimated one in about 160 families bears the name, and in Edinburgh where the figure is about one in 155. Around the world the surname is most common in Vancouver (one in 229 families), Ottawa (one in 267) Canberra (one in 324) and Toronto (one in 350). The United States has 64,000 MacDonalds and 193,000 McDonalds-the estimated combined total of 257,000 is larger than the population of two Carlisles and makes this their 68th most popular surname.