NameCensus.

UK surname

Macdonell

A Scottish surname meaning "son of Dougall" or "son of the brown-haired chief".

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Macdonell surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 156, ranked #23,098, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Glenshiel and Boleskine and Abertarff. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Badenoch and Strathspey South, Herefordshire and Rafford, Dallas, Dyke to Dava.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macdonell is 179 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.6%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

156

2016, ranked #23,098

Peak year

2000

179 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macdonell had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016, ranked #23,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 139 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Macdonell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Macdonell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Macdonell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macdonell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 83 #19,181
1861 historical 96 #21,648
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 139 #19,311
1901 historical 129 #19,735
1911 historical 65 #26,343
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 162 #20,673
1999 modern 162 #20,781
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 164 #20,279
2002 modern 158 #21,178
2003 modern 140 #22,634
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 142 #22,577
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 142 #23,025
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 146 #23,352
2010 modern 149 #23,598
2011 modern 145 #23,837
2012 modern 151 #23,166
2013 modern 154 #23,210
2014 modern 156 #23,231
2015 modern 156 #23,106
2016 modern 156 #23,098

Geography

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Where Macdonells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Glenshiel, Boleskine and Abertarff and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Badenoch and Strathspey South, Herefordshire, Rafford, Dallas, Dyke to Dava, Derby and Black Isle North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Glenshiel Ross And Cromarty
3 London parishes London 3
4 Boleskine and Abertarff Inverness
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Badenoch and Strathspey South Highland
2 Herefordshire 012 Herefordshire, County of
3 Rafford, Dallas, Dyke to Dava Moray
4 Derby 015 Derby
5 Black Isle North Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macdonell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Macdonell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macdonell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Macdonell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Macdonell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Macdonell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Macdonell is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macdonell is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Macdonell falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macdonell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Macdonell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Macdonell

The surname MACDONELL originated in Scotland during the medieval period, deriving from the Gaelic "MacDhomhnaill" meaning "son of Donald." It is a branch of the influential Scottish clan Donald, tracing its ancestry to Somerled, the celebrated 12th-century Lord of the Isles.

The MACDONELL name first appeared in written records during the 13th century, when members of the clan held lands in Argyll and the Hebrides. One of the earliest known instances is a charter from 1284 mentioning "Gillies Macdonell" as a witness.

In the 14th century, the MACDONELLS established themselves as Lords of Islay and Kintyre. Reginald MACDONELL, born around 1280, was a notable figure who led the clan during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. His grandson, John MACDONELL, Lord of the Isles (1337-1387), was a powerful ruler who controlled vast territories in western Scotland.

The MACDONELLS played a significant role in the Jacobite risings of the 17th and 18th centuries, supporting the exiled House of Stuart's claim to the British throne. Alastair MACDONELL, 22nd Chief of Glengarry (1725-1761), led the clan at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the final confrontation of the Jacobite cause.

Over the centuries, various branches of the MACDONELL clan emerged, each with its own distinctive heritage. The MACDONELLS of Glengarry, the principal branch, held extensive lands in Inverness-shire. The MACDONELLS of Keppoch, a cadet branch, were based in Lochaber, while the MACDONELLS of Greenock were prominent in the shipping industry.

Notable MACDONELLS throughout history include Æneas MACDONELL (1742-1818), a British Army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War, and Sir James MACDONELL (1841-1925), a Canadian lawyer and judge who served as the 6th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macdonell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macdonell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Inverness-shire leads with 57 Macdonells recorded in 1881 and an index of 159.08x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 57 159.08x
Middlesex 18 1.50x
Ross-shire 10 30.35x
Derbyshire 7 3.73x
Midlothian 7 4.36x
Lanarkshire 6 1.55x
Aberdeenshire 4 3.60x
Angus 3 2.70x
Buteshire 2 27.51x
Surrey 2 0.34x
Caernarfonshire 1 2.06x
Devon 1 0.40x
Essex 1 0.42x
Lancashire 1 0.07x
Wigtownshire 1 6.28x
Worcestershire 1 0.64x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Inverness in Inverness-shire leads with 27 Macdonells recorded in 1881 and an index of 299.67x.

Place Total Index
Inverness 27 299.67x
Kilmonivaig 13 1625.00x
Boleskine Abertarff 8 1355.93x
Glenshiel 8 4705.88x
Islington London 8 6.88x
Urquhart Glenmoriston 8 792.08x
Derby St Werburgh 7 64.52x
Liberton 7 282.26x
Glasgow 6 8.71x
Clerkenwell London 5 17.66x
Aberdeen Old Machar 3 12.93x
Brechin 3 68.65x
Carshalton 2 89.29x
Paddington London 2 4.53x
Rothesay 2 56.82x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 4.81x
Bangor 1 21.37x
Chigwell 1 44.64x
Duirinish 1 54.64x
Great Malvern 1 30.58x
Hackney London 1 1.49x
Jacobstowe 1 1111.11x
Lochalsh 1 117.65x
Rosskeen 1 64.52x
St George Hanover 1 6.39x
St Giles In Fields 1 24.15x
Wavertree 1 21.93x
Wigtown 1 109.89x
York Minster Yard W 1 357.14x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Macdonell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Eliza 4
Ellen 3
Mary 2
A. 1
E.E. 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Isabel 1
Kate 1
L.E. 1
L.J. 1
Rachel 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Macdonell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Robert 2
Alexander 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Dennis 1
E. 1
Edward 1
Hector 1
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Walter 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Macdonell households.

FAQ

Macdonell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macdonell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Macdonell surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macdonell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016. That gives Macdonell a modern rank of #23,098.

What does the Macdonell surname mean?

A Scottish surname meaning "son of Dougall" or "son of the brown-haired chief".

What does the Macdonell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Macdonell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.