DONALD
The surname Donald originates in the Gaelic language of the Scottish Highlands and derives from the personal name Domhnall, which translates as world ruler or ruler of the world.
Domhnall is composed of the Celtic elements dumno meaning “world” and val meaning “rule”. The name was common in medieval Scotland, especially among the Dalriadan clans who dominated the western seaboard during the Middle Ages.
As a patronymic surname it was originally used to identify the descendants of a person called Donald. Early spellings recorded in the 13th century Scotland include Dofnald, Douenald and Dufenald; the name appears in documents such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland where a Haket Donald paid a “contribution for peace” to the bailie of Kinross in 1328.
Individuals bearing the surname feature in historical records from the 13th to the 16th century. Lucas filius Douenald was a prisoner of war held at Berkhamstead in 1296. In 1339 Henry Donalde is listed among the garrison of Edinburgh Castle during the reign of King David XI. Later, David Donaldson was a tenant of Campsie in 1443 and Patrick Donell served as keeper of the king’s wardrobe in 1516.
In the 19th century Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson (1812–1867) served as finance minister of New South Wales in 1856, demonstrating the spread of the surname beyond Scottish borders.
Today the surname, along with its variants, remains prevalent in Scotland, particularly in the Hebrides and the Isle of Skye, and in countries with significant Scottish or Irish diasporas such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Other recognised spellings include Donaldson, MacDonald, McDonald, McDonnell, MacDonnell, Donnelly and Donell. These variations often reflect the original meaning of “son of Dòmhnall”, with the prefixes Mac and Mc serving to indicate lineage.
Typical given names associated with the Donald surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Robert
- William
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Fiona
- Helen
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Donald in...
Braille
⠙⠕⠝⠁⠇⠙
Morse
-..----..-.-..-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 9,425 people named Donald in the UK. That makes it the 988th most common surname in Britain. Around 145 in a million people in Britain are named Donald.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Donald
- Howard Donald - Singer and DJ
- Luke Donald - Professional golfer
- Aaron Donald - American football player
- James Donald - Scottish Actor (1917 to 1993)
- Ian Donald - Scottish physician (1910 to 1987)
- Athene Donald - Physicist
- Dick Donald - Scottish football player (1911 to 1993)
- Grahame Donald - Royal Air Force air marshals (1891 to 1976)
- Warren Donald - Football player
- Alan Donald - Diplomat (1931 to 2018)
- Alec Donald - Scottish football player (1900 to 1949)
- Ian Donald - Scottish football player
- David Donald - Scottish football player
- Aneurin Donald - Welsh cricketer
- Alexander Bell Donald - Seaman, sailmaker, merchant, ship owner (1842 to 1922)
- Alex Donald - Football player
- Barry Donald - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.