MACELMAIL, Macelmeel, Macelmoyle: Gaelic Mac Gille mhaoil. Rev. John MacElmail was appointed Catholic priest in Knoydart, 1884 (Blundell, Catholic Highlands, 1917, p. 82). Rev. John McElmoyle (d. 1938), born in Scotland, was known as the "marrying parson" of America's Gretna Green (Elkton, Maryland). Mc illemayll 1636. Mary Ncllvoil, 1704, appears in 1706 as Mor Nclllimoile. See under Macmillan.

Though Woulfe treats them as synonyms MacElmeel and MacElmoyle are in fact distinct names.

The latter, modern variants of which are MacIlmoyle, MacIlmoil and Macklemoyle, is from the Irish Mac Giolla Mhaoil (maol, bald); it is fairly numerous in Cos. Antrim and Derry. MacElmeel, on the other hand, is confined to Co. Monaghan and the adjoining part of Co. Tyrone. Outside that area the variants MacMeel and MacMeal are occasionally found.

As far back as records are available, MacElmee1 has always been an Oriel name and its identity with Mac Giolla Mhichil is confirmed by the fact that in the Co. Monaghan hearth money rolls we find the man returned as Phelim MacIlmeele in 1663 called Phelim MacIlmichele two years later. This name means son of the devotee of St. Michael; it has also been anglicized as MacMichael. In that form it is found in the more northerly parts of Ulster.