McDonald Coat of Arms, Family Crest and McDonald Family History

McDonald Family History

The ancient origin of the name McDonald was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name McDonald include Donald, Donaldson and McDonell. The Clan founder was Somerled, who freed his countrymen from the Norse Yoke. He died in 1164, leaving three sons. The second, Reginald, died in 1207, leaving an eldest son, Donald, from whom the Clan takes its name. As Lords of the Isles and Earls of Ross, the Clan Donald were the greatest of the Highland Clans in Scotland, their Chief until 1493, ranking as an Island Sovereign. After the fall of the Lords of the Isles, first Glengarry, and then the Lords of Sleat held the Chieftainry. The Chief of Glencoe MacDonalds was of Royal descent and was, with nearly all his Clan, massacred by Campbell of Glenlyon in 1692. In Ireland this name is usually of immigrant origin having been brought into Ulster by settlers and gallowglasses from Scotland. Some members of the Gaelic MacDomhnaill sept adopted McDonald as the anglicized form of their name instead of the more usual McDonnell.The McDonald family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including McDonald descendants.