MacDonald surname meaning

MacDonald is a Gaelic patronymic: Mac Dhomhnaill or MacDhòmhnaill, “son of Donald.” Donald is the English form of Gaelic Dòmhnall, a personal name built from elements meaning roughly “world” and “rule.” MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are spelling conventions for the same basic relationship, and MacDonnell can appear as a related Irish or Scottish anglicization. Clan Donald history helps explain why the name is so widespread in Scotland and Ireland, but records—not the spelling alone—connect individual families. Parent’s name is the secure catalog type, matching the established McDonald page for the same Gaelic root.