NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcdonell

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhomhnuill," meaning "son of Domhnall" (a personal name meaning "world ruler").

In the 1881 census there were 402 people recorded with the Mcdonell surname, ranking it #7,949 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, down from #7,949 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Boleskine and Abertarff, Govan Combination and Glenelg. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochaber West, Kirkcaldy Templehall East and Knapdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcdonell is 467 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 71.1%.

1881 census count

402

Ranked #7,949

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

1851

467 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcdonell had 402 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,949 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 467 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcdonell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcdonell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcdonell 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 467 #5,314
1861 historical 418 #6,146
1881 historical 402 #7,949
1891 historical 347 #9,894
1901 historical 300 #11,647
1911 historical 136 #18,962
1997 modern 132 #22,821
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 105 #27,035
2000 modern 108 #26,549
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 98 #28,297
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 127 #26,176
2011 modern 128 #25,793
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 113 #28,645
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Mcdonells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Boleskine and Abertarff, Govan Combination, Glenelg, Edinburgh and Urquhart and Glenmoriston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochaber West, Kirkcaldy Templehall East, Knapdale, Fochabers, Aultmore, Clochan and Ordiquish and Bradford. 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 Boleskine and Abertarff Inverness
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Glenelg Inverness
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Urquhart and Glenmoriston Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochaber West Highland
2 Kirkcaldy Templehall East Fife
3 Knapdale Argyll and Bute
4 Fochabers, Aultmore, Clochan and Ordiquish Moray
5 Bradford 002 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcdonell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcdonell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcdonell, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mcdonell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcdonell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mcdonell is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcdonell is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcdonell 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 Mcdonell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcdonell

The surname MCDONELL has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the medieval period. It is a variant of the Scottish clan name MacDonald, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhomhnuill," meaning "son of Donald." This patronymic surname reflects the clan's ancestry and allegiance to the Lords of the Isles, a powerful family that ruled over parts of western Scotland and the Hebrides islands.

MCDONELL can be found in historical records from the 13th century onwards, often associated with the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Some early references include mentions in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Ragman Rolls, which documented allegiances to the Scottish Crown during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the MCDONELL surname was Sir James McDonell, a prominent clan chief who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the early 14th century. Another notable figure was Angus McDonell, a 16th-century warrior who led his clan in the Battle of Glenlivet against the forces of King James VI.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many McDonells were involved in the Jacobite uprisings, supporting the claim of the Catholic House of Stuart to the British throne. A famous example is Alasdair MacDonell of Glengarry, who raised troops for the Jacobite cause and fought at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689.

In the 19th century, the surname MCDONELL gained prominence through individuals like Ranald McDonell, a Scottish-Canadian fur trader and explorer who played a significant role in the expansion of the North West Company in western Canada. Another notable figure was Alexander McDonell, a Roman Catholic priest who founded the Glengarry Fencibles, a regiment that served in the War of 1812 and later settled in Ontario, Canada.

Other historical figures with the MCDONELL surname include James McDonell (1735-1809), a Scottish-American soldier and politician who served in the American Revolutionary War, and John McDonell (1785-1850), a Scottish-Canadian politician and jurist who served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcdonell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcdonell 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. Northumberland leads with 9 Mcdonells recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.85x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 9 25.85x
Essex 4 8.66x
Middlesex 4 1.71x
Cumberland 3 14.89x
Surrey 3 2.63x
Lancashire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newcastle On Tyne All Sts in Northumberland leads with 9 Mcdonells recorded in 1881 and an index of 432.69x.

Place Total Index
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 9 432.69x
West Ham 4 39.22x
Clapham 2 68.26x
Hammersmith London 2 34.72x
Penrith 2 270.27x
Spitalfields London 2 113.64x
Croston 1 714.29x
Croydon 1 15.80x
St Cuthbert W O 1 102.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Catherine 1
Christiana 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Lidia 1
Maria 1
Moger 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Michael 2
Peter 2
Francis 1
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
William 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 Mcdonell households.

FAQ

Mcdonell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcdonell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 402 people were recorded with the Mcdonell surname. That placed it at #7,949 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcdonell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Mcdonell a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Mcdonell surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhomhnuill," meaning "son of Domhnall" (a personal name meaning "world ruler").

What does the Mcdonell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcdonell 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.