Gaelic Mac Dhomhnuill (pron. Maak oonil), 'son of Donald, ' q. v. Properly speaking there is no such surname as Macdonald. MacDhomhnuill means 'son of (a particular) Donald': all others of the name are simply Domhnullach, 'one of the Donalds' (Henderson, ZCP., IV, p. 244). The chiefs of the clan in the direct line are descended from Donald, eldest son of Reginald, second son of Somerled, Regulus of the Isles. Collectively the clan is known as Clann Domhnuill, and, due to the absorption of many small septs and 'broken men, ' it is therefore the most numerous and widespread of all the dans. It should therefore be borne in mind that all persons named Macdonald are not by any means son of a particular Donald any more than all Campbells are sib to the duke of Argyll. Sir Eneas Macpherson rather spitefully accuses the Macdonalds of vanity in that they "would have all the families descended of theirs in which there is ane (M) or any other letter of their name" (Loyall Dissuasive, SHS, ed,, p. 108). In MacDhomhnuill the d by aspiration is often omitted in pronunciation thus giving rise to the form MacConnell, a spelling common in Ulster. In 'A Chdnuill' for 'A Dhomhnuill ('A' here is all that remains of 'Mac') the sounds of broad dh and broad ch are liable to confusion, hence MacChonuill for MacDhomhnuill and MacConachie for MacDhcmnchaidh. In Waifs and strays, II, and in Rev. J. G. Campbell's Witchcraft, p. 23, are the forms MacConnuill and MaConuill. The attempts in record to render the name from Gaelic pronunciation has resulted in a great variety of forms from which the following is a selection: Makconehill 1479, 1564, Maconhale (of Dunivaig) 1588, McConile 1571, M'Conill 1580, McConnaill 1581, M'Connel 1627, McConnell 1633, McConnil 1564, M'Connill 1597, M'Connyll 1545, VcConull 1613, MakDonald 1571, M'Donnyle 1326, McDonol 1769, McDonolI 1771, McDonyll 1521, M'Douny 1329, M'Kconil 1597, MacKonald 1586, Mackoneye 1571, M'Konnell, M'Oneill, VcONeill 1576, M'Onele (all four of Donnawik = Dunivaig) 1626, McOnill (of Sleat) 1628, Mc orronald (of Eyellanttirrem) 1645, M'zonil 1531, Makconeil 1571, Makconell 1521, Makconnele and Makconell 1571, Mach-Onales and MacConeales (pl. ) 1646. Sir James Melville spells the name Machonel. The M'Douny of 1329 above appears three years earlier as John M'Donnyle, bailie of Ile (Islay) (ER., I, p. 52,196), and Therthelnac Makdonenalde was a charter witness at Lesmore, 1251 (RMS., II, 3126). Macdonell and Macdonnell are also recognized spellings of the name at the present time.

(Scottish, Irish) The son of Donald (dark or brown-haired stranger); the son of Domhnall (world mighty).

The clan Macdonald is certainly one of the oldest and most important in Scotland, its chiefs being descended from Somerled, thane of Argyle, but sometimes styled King of the Isles, who flourished in the XII. cent.

The son of Donald. The family are descended from Angus MacDonald, son of Donald, whose father, Reginald, was the son of Somerled, Thane of Argyll.

This family was for many centuries reputed the most powerful of any in the Highlands of Scotland, being styled "King of the Isles," for many generations, during which they were successful in asserting their independence. Somerled, Thane of Argyle, flourished about the year 1140, and was the ancestor of all the McDonalds. He married the daughter of Olans, Lord of the Western Isles, whereupon he assumed the title of "King of the Isles." He was slain, in 1164, by Walter, Lord High Steward of Scotland. Donald, from whom the clan derived their name, was his grandson.