MacDonald
A classic Gaelic patronymic meaning “son of Donald,” strongly associated with one of Scotland’s great Highland clans.
The #744 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,609 Americans shares it.
Etymology
MacDonald is a patronymic surname built from Gaelic mac, meaning “son,” and the personal name Domhnall, usually rendered in English as Donald. The literal sense is therefore “son of Donald.” In Gaelic naming, the prefix Mac often became fixed as a hereditary surname, especially in Highland Scotland and also in Ireland.
History
Historical sources place the surname at the center of Clan Donald, one of the oldest and most powerful Highland kindreds, whose chiefs traced descent from Somerled, Thane of Argyll. The surname spread widely through Scotland and later into the diaspora, especially in North America, after centuries of clan prominence, conflict, and migration. Spellings vary between MacDonald and McDonald, with Macdonnell also appearing in related branches.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The clan association was so strong that nineteenth-century writers often treated MacDonald not just as a surname but as the name of a whole Highland political power.
From the historical record
“first place. Smith being third a long way behind. Inverness still more revolutionises Lowland statistics. Every 33rd person there is a Fraser, every 43rd a Macdonald, every 48th & Mackenzie. Smith is quite uncommon at 1 in 270. In Ayr, again. Smith has most re- sponders, with 1 in 80. Smith and Maxwell are…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)