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Irish surname

McConnell: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Dhomhnaill (usual); Mac Conaill (very rare) · Mac Dhomhnaill: a variant of Mac Domhnaill, 'son of Domhnall' (world-mighty); Mac Conaill: 'son of Conall' (high-ruler)

Woulfe (1923) says MacConnell in most instances comes from Mac Dhomhnaill, a variant of Mac Domhnaill (MacDonnell, MacDonald), 'son of Domhnall'. A separate, very rare Irish name, Mac Conaill, 'son of Conall', is also anglicised MacConnell. In 1890, Ireland's birth indexes held 101 entries for McConnell and its spelling varieties (98 spelled McConnell), 89 of them in Ulster, chiefly in Antrim, Down and Tyrone.

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Coat of arms associated with the McConnell surname
Irish formMac Dhomhnaill (usual); Mac Conaill (very rare)
MeaningMac Dhomhnaill: a variant of Mac Domhnaill, 'son of Domhnall' (world-mighty); Mac Conaill: 'son of Conall' (high-ruler)
CountiesAntrim, Down, Tyrone
Other spellings4

Origin of the McConnell name

Woulfe: MacConnell is 'in most instances' from Mac Dhomhnaill, a variant of Mac Domhnaill; this form is 'common in the spoken language even when the anglicised form is MacDonnell'. Under Mac Domhnaill he names three families: the MacDonalds/MacDonnells of Scotland, the MacDonnells of Clan-Kelly (Fermanagh) and of Thomond. Mac Conaill is a separate, very rare name.[1][2][3]

  1. 1890101 entries incl. varieties (98 as McConnell), 89 in Ulster; chiefly Antrim, Down, Tyrone.[4][6]

Where in Ireland

Co. AntrimFirst of the three counties where McConnell births were principally found in 1890.[4]
Co. DownAmong the three principal McConnell counties in 1890.[4]
Co. TyroneAmong the three principal McConnell counties in 1890.[4]

Other spellings

MacConnell · MacConell · MacGonnell · M'Conill[1][2]

Scottish connection

Woulfe says MacConnell is in most instances from Mac Dhomhnaill, a variant of Mac Domhnaill. The first of the three Mac Domhnaill families he names is the MacDonalds or MacDonnells of Scotland, of whom he says 'the great bulk of our Irish MacDonnells belong to this race'. He does not say which family any particular MacConnell descends from.[2][3]

The McConnell coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the McConnell surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

McConnell crest gifts

Clan Macconnell Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapJO31 Classic Cap - Macconnell Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Macconnell Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Macconnell Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap JF69 Macconnell Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Macconnell Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

McConnell surname: questions

Is McConnell Irish or Scottish?

Woulfe lists MacConnell among the anglicised forms of Mac Dhomhnaill, a variant of Mac Domhnaill (MacDonnell). Of the three Mac Domhnaill families he names, the first is the MacDonalds of Scotland, who 'came over in large numbers to Ireland' in the 14th and 15th centuries; the other two are the MacDonnells of Clan-Kelly (Fermanagh) and of Thomond. He does not say which family any particular MacConnell descends from.[1][2][3]

What does the surname McConnell mean?

Usually 'son of Domhnall' (world-mighty), via Mac Dhomhnaill; rarely 'son of Conall' (high-ruler), from Mac Conaill.[1][3]

Where in Ireland is the McConnell name found?

Mainly in Ulster: of 101 entries for McConnell and its spelling varieties in the 1890 birth indexes, 89 were in Ulster, chiefly in Antrim, Down and Tyrone.[4][6]

Are McConnell and McDonnell the same name?

They are linked. Woulfe says Mac Dhomhnaill, the usual origin of MacConnell, is a variant of Mac Domhnaill (MacDonnell). Matheson's 1901 varieties list gives [M'Connell] under M'Donnell, meaning the spellings were found or reported to be used interchangeably in registration records; he says this does not mean the names are in all cases forms of the same name.[1][2][5][7]

Sources

  1. Mac Conaill — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-conaill.php
  2. Mac Dhomhnaill — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macd/mac-dhomhnaill.php
  3. Mac Domhnaill — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macd/mac-domhnaill.php
  4. McConnell — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcconnell.php
  5. M'Donnell — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1301.php
  6. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  7. Memorandum Explanatory of Alphabetical List — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/memorandum.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).