McConnell surname meaning

McConnell is an Irish (especially northern) and Scottish (southwestern) Anglicization of Gaelic Mac Dhomhnaill, “son of Domhnall,” reflecting the lenited pronunciation of the personal name. Domhnall is conventionally glossed “world-ruler.” McDonald and MacDonald are the better-known spellings of the same patronymic; McConnel and MacConnell appear as shorter or older forms. O'Connell comes from a different personal name and should not be conflated with this Mac-line. Parent’s name is high confidence: McConnell is a Mac-surname from Domhnall, parallel to the widespread McDonald tradition.