MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are Anglicised forms of the Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic MacDhòmhnaill or Dòmhnallach. The name is a patronym meaning "son of Dòmhnall". The personal name Dòmhnall is composed of the elements domno "world" and val "might", "rule". According to Alex Woolf, the Gaelic personal name is probably a borrowing from the British Celtic Dyfnwal.
The Surname can be of Scotch-Irish, Scottish, or Irish ancestry.
In the context of Scottish clans, the various forms of the name refer to one of the largest clans, Clan Donald.
Frequency and distribution
In Scottish surname data, no distinction is made between, for instance, "Macdonald" and "MacDonald". According to this data, the following frequency information can be collated:
Table References
Frequency data from England of 1891 shows a concentration of families bearing the "Macdonald" surname in Lancashire and Yorkshire with a lower frequency in the northernmost counties, but overall widespread distribution throughout the country. "McDonald" shares the same pattern of distribution. Looking at contemporaneous data from the United States, coast-to-coast distribution of both "Macdonald" and "McDonald" appears in 1880. Looking back to 1840 in the United States, the prevalence of "McDonald" is far greater than that of "Macdonald", with concentration in the Ohio-Pennsylvania-New York corridor.
Born after 1400
John of Islay, Earl of Ross (1434–1503), or "John MacDonald", Scottish ruler, Fourth Lord of the Isles and Chief of the Highland Clan Donald
Born after 1700
Flora MacDonald (1722–1790), Jacobite patriot who protected Bonnie Prince Charlie after the 1746 Battle of Culloden
Jacques MacDonald (1765–1840), French Duke of Tarento and Marshal of the Empire under Napoleon I (2nd generation French; father was Scottish)
John MacDonald of Garth (1771–1866), early partner in the North West Company
John Small MacDonald (c. 1791–1849), Canadian businessman and provincial politician
Born after 1800
A. B. MacDonald (born c. 1861), American journalist
Bob MacDonald (1885–1960), Scottish-American professional golfer
Claude Maxwell MacDonald (1852–1915), British soldier and diplomat
George MacDonald (1824–1905), Scottish-English author, poet, and Christian minister
Hector MacDonald (1853–1903), Scottish Major-General of the British Army under Lord Kitchener
John Alexander Macdonald (1815–1891), first Prime minister of Canada, usually referred to as John A. Macdonald.
John L. MacDonald (1838–1903), Scottish-American national politician
Pirie MacDonald (1867–1942), American portrait photographer
Ramsay MacDonald (1866–1937), Scottish politician, twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (son of "Macdonald" father and "Ramsay" mother, registered at birth as "James McDonald Ramsay")
Ranald MacDonald (1834–1894), Scottish-Chinook educator. First man to teach the English language in Japan
William Josiah MacDonald (1873–1946), American lawyer and national politician
Born after 1900
Jeanette MacDonald (1903–1965), American singer and actress
Jack Macdonald (sportsman) (1908–1982), New Zealand rower
Ian MacDonald (actor) (1914–1978), American actor and director during the 1940s and 1960s
Ross Macdonald (1915–1983), pseudonym of the American-Canadian writer Kenneth Millar
John D. MacDonald (1916–1986), American novelist
Charles B. MacDonald (1922–1990), American World War II soldier and military historian
Flora MacDonald (1926–2015), Canadian politician
Peter MacDonald (Navajo leader) (born 1928) former chairman of the Navajo Nation
Jeffrey R. MacDonald (born 1943), American murderer
Margo MacDonald (1943–2014), Scottish politician
Kevin B. MacDonald (born 1944), American psychology academic
John MacDonald (Canadian musician) (born 1948), Canadian musician of the French horn (current residence, Germany)
Born after 1950
Alan MacDonald (rugby union) (born 1985), Scottish rugby union player
Andrew MacDonald (ice hockey) (born 1986), Canadian ice hockey player
Andrew McDonald (water polo) (born 1955), American water polo player
Ann-Marie MacDonald (born 1958), Canadian playwright, novelist, actor and broadcast journalist (born in West Germany to Canadian military parents)
Garry MacDonald, English footballer
Heidi MacDonald, American comic book editor and comics critic
Jason MacDonald (born 1975), Canadian Mixed martial artist
Kevin MacDonald (footballer) (born 1960), Scottish footballer
Kirk MacDonald (ice hockey) (born 1983), Canadian ice hockey player
Kirk MacDonald (politician), member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Mike MacDonald (born 1954), Canadian comedian and actor
Mike MacDonald (born 1980), American rugby union player
Roddie MacDonald (born 1954), Scottish footballer
Roddy (R.S.) MacDonald (born 1956), Scottish-Australian Pipe Major and composer (26 year residence in England)
Rory MacDonald (born 1989), Canadian professional mixed martial artist currently fighting in the UFC.
Shaun MacDonald (born 1988), Welsh footballer
William J. MacDonald (writer and producer), American television writer and producer
Andrew Duck MacDonald (born 1953), American heavy metal/hard rock guitarist
Born after 1700
Allan Macdonald (1794–1862), New York politician
Born after 1800
John Sandfield Macdonald (1812–1872), Canadian national politician, First Premier of Ontario
Sir John A. Macdonald (1815–1891), Scottish-Canadian national politician, first Prime Minister of Canada
Donald Alexander Macdonald (1817–1896), Canadian national politician
John Macdonald (Canadian politician) (1824–1890), Scottish-Canadian merchant, churchman, philanthropist and national politician
William Christoper Macdonald (1831–1917), Scottish-Canadian tobacco manufacturer, philanthropist
Charles B. Macdonald (1855–1939), American golfer, introduced the first 18-hole course in the United States (2nd generation American, born to Scottish father and Canadian mother)
Harry Macdonough (born John Macdonald, 1871–1931), Canadian singer and recording executive
John Alexander Macdonald (Prince Edward Island politician) (1874–1948), Canadian national politician
John Smyth Macdonald (1867–1941), British physiologist
Captain Murdo Stewart MacDonald (1852–1938) the last Sea Baron and Lloyds Surveyor of Shipping
William Alexander Macdonald (fl. 1890s), Canadian provincial politician
William Ross Macdonald (1891–1976), Canadian national politician (2nd generation Canadian born to Scottish immigrant father)
Born after 1900
Archibald 'Archie' James Florence Macdonald (1904–1983), British Liberal MP
Barbara Macdonald, (1913–2000), social worker, lesbian feminist and ageism activist
Dwight Macdonald (1906–1982), American writer, editor, social critic, philosopher, and political radical.
Eleanor Josephine Macdonald (1906–2007) pioneer American cancer epidemiologist and cancer researcher
John Michael Macdonald (1906–1997), Canadian national politician
James David Macdonald (ornithologist) (1908–2002), British and Australian ornithologist
Margaret Mary Macdonald (1910–1968), Canadian national politician
Callum Macdonald (publisher) (1912–1999), Scottish publisher who specialised in poetry
James David Macdonald (politician) (born 1922), Canadian politician
Ian G. Macdonald (born 1928), English mathematician, a prominent contributor to algebraic combinatorics
Ian Macdonald (Australian politician) (born 1945), Australian national politician
Born after 1950
Sir Ken Macdonald QC (born 1953), British barrister, Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (2003–2008)
Norm Macdonald (born 1963), Canadian comedian/actor
Kevin Macdonald (director) (born 1967), Film director (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void)
Kelly Macdonald (born 1976), Scottish actress
Amy Macdonald (born 1987), Scottish singer/songwriter
Amy MacDonald (writer) (born 1951), American writer and journalist
Ian Macdonald (New South Wales politician) (born 1949), Australian state politician
Dame Mary Macdonald (born 1950), Head Teacher, honoured for Services to Education
Shauna Macdonald (born 1981), actress
Nene Macdonald (born 1994), Papua New Guinean Rugby League player
Ross Macdonald (born 1989), bassist for the 1975
Born after 1800
Ambrose Stephen McDonald (1845–1913), American businessman and politician
Eugene F. McDonald (1886–1958), American entrepreneur, founder of Zenith Radio
Harl McDonald (1899–1955), American composer, pianist, conductor and teacher
Jack McDonald (ice hockey, born 1887) (died 1958), Canadian professional ice hockey player
James Grover McDonald (1886–1964), American diplomat, first Ambassador to Israel
William Jesse McDonald (1852–1918), leader of the Texas Ranger Division and bodyguard to Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson
John McDonald (of Dromod) (1846 – aft. 1911), Irish cultural nationalist poet from county Leitrim
Born after 1900
Albert McDonald (1931–2014), American politician
Sir Arthur McDonald (1903–1996), British West Indian-English Royal Air Force Air Marshal
Country Joe McDonald (born 1942), American musician and activist
Ian McDonald (musician) (born 1946), English rock musician
Larry McDonald (1935–1983), a member of the United States House of Representatives
Laurier McDonald (born 1931), Texas Attorney, Historian, Author
Mac McDonald (born 1949), American actor
Marie McDonald (1923–1965), American film actress
Maurice McDonald (1902–1971), American fast food pioneer and co-founder of McDonald's
Richard McDonald (1909–1998), American fast food pioneer and co-founder of McDonald's
Roy McDonald (poet) (born 1937), Canadian poet and busker
Roy McDonald (politician) (born 1946), New York State Senator
Sandy McDonald (1937–2016), Scottish Minister of the Church of Scotland
Susan Marshall McDonald (1918–1992), philatelist of Ohio
Sir Trevor McDonald (born George McDonald, 1939), Trinidadian-born British news presenter
Walt McDonald (born 1934), American poet, academic, Poet Laureate of Texas
Wesley L. McDonald (1924–2009), United States Navy 4 Star Admiral and Naval Aviator
Whitey McDonald (1902–1956), Canadian Soccer Player
William Joseph McDonald (1904–1989), Irish-born American Catholic bishop
Born after 1950
Andy McDonald (born 1977), Canadian professional ice hockey player
Chris McDonald (footballer) (born 1975), Scottish footballer
Christopher McDonald (actor) (born 1955), American actor
Hugh McDonald (American musician) (born 1950), American musician, bassist
Clayton McDonald (born 1988), English footballer
Daniel McDonald (actor) (1960–2007), American actor
David Tennant (born David John McDonald, 1971), Scottish actor
Ian McDonald (author) (born 1960), English science fiction novelist (residence in Northern Ireland)
John McDonald (born 1974), American professional baseball player
Kevin McDonald (born 1961), Canadian comedian and actor
Kevin McDonald (footballer, born 1985), English footballer
Kevin McDonald (footballer, born 1988), Scottish footballer
Lanny McDonald (born 1953), Canadian professional ice hockey player
Mark McDonald (born 1980), Scottish politician
Michael McDonald (born 1952), American singer
Neil McDonald (born 1965), former English professional footballer turned coach
Rod McDonald (footballer, born 1967), English footballer
Rod McDonald (footballer, born 1992), English footballer
Scott McDonald (born 1983), Australian footballer
Shawn McDonald (born 1978), American Christian singer, songwriter and guitarist
Simon McDonald (diplomat) (born 1961), Permanent Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Ian MacDonald (born Ian MacCormick, 1948–2003), British music critic and author.
Macdonald Carey (1913–1994), American actor
Brothers: J.S. Macdonald (b. 1812) ↔ D.A. Macdonald (b. 1817)
Brothers: C. McDonald (b. 1955) ↔ D. McDonald (b. 1960)
Father-son: A. McDonald (b. 1937) → D. Tennant (McDonald) (b. 1971)
Father-Daughter-in-Law: J.A. Macdonald (b. 1874) → M.M. Macdonald (b. 1910)
Ronald "Mac" McDonald, character in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Ronald McDonald, international fast-food franchise clown mascot and spokesman
Steve McDonald, character in Coronation Street
