McDonnell Family Crest, Coat of Arms & McDonnell Name Origin

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Origin of the Name McDonnell

The ancient history of the name McDonnell was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives. Families of the name McDonnell have a number of origins. Some are descendants of the Scottish Clan from Argyle whose Chief was Lord of the Isles. They arrived in Ireland in the thirteenth century and established themselves as Gallowglass warriors to the Chiefs in the North of the country. The family gradually acquired much territory and by the fifteenth century they were established in the Glens of Antrim. Randal MacSorley MacDonnell, the head of the family, was created Earl of Antrim in the year 1620. Other bearers of the name can be of Irish origin from the septs located in Thomond and the western part of Ulster . The Gaelic form of this name is MacDhomhnaill meaning 'son of Daniel' and is most often anglicized as McDonnell but also as McConnell.