MacDonald
/məkˈdɒnəld/noun
A Scottish and Irish surname meaning “son of Donald.”
Did you know?Clan Donald traditionally claimed descent from Somerled, the 12th-century ruler of the Isles, making the surname part of a powerful medieval Gaelic dynasty.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*Dumno-valos
“World-ruler or ruler of the deep; the ancient name-form behind Donald”
Early Medieval Gaelic
Old Irish
Domnall
“A personal name traditionally interpreted as “world-ruler””
12th Century
Scottish Gaelic
Dòmhnall
“The Gaelic personal name Donald”
Medieval Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic
Mac Dhòmhnaill
“Son of Donald; mac means “son,” while the following name takes the grammatical genitive form”
14th–16th Century
Scots
Makdonald / McDonald
“A hereditary surname used by descendants or followers of a man named Donald”
Modern English
English
MacDonald
“A Scottish or Irish surname, also widely known through the McDonald’s restaurant brand”