MacDonald Family Crest, Coat of Arms & MacDonald Name Origin

Get Free Updates about Family Crests, New Information, Stories, Special Offers and more with our Occasional Newsletter Updates

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

Last Name

Origin of the Name MacDonald

The MacDonald family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. 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.