Mcdonald Family History

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Mcdonald Name Meaning

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Dhomhnuill, a patronymic from the personal name Domhnall, which is composed of the ancient Celtic elements domno- ‘world’ + val- ‘might’, ‘rule’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Mcmonagle, Mcdougall, Mcdonnell, Mcdowell, Ronald, Leonard, Mcfall

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Mcdonald Family Origin

Where is the Mcdonald family from?

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You can see how Mcdonald families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mcdonald family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Mcdonald families were found in and Scotland in 1841and Scotland in 1851and Scotland in 1861and Scotland in 1871and Scotland in 1881and Scotland in 1891and Scotland in 1901. In 1911 there were 1,927 Mcdonald families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 25% of all the recorded Mcdonald's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Mcdonald families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mcdonald surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Mcdonald

Mcdonald Family Occupations

What did your Mcdonald ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Mcdonald. 36% of Mcdonald men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Mcdonald women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Mcdonald were Miner and Teacher

View Census data for Mcdonald | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    36%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Miner
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Housekeeper
    12%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Teacher
    7%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Mcdonald Historical Records

What Mcdonald family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Mcdonald. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mcdonald census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Mcdonald

Passenger List

There are 259,000 immigration records available for the last name Mcdonald. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Mcdonald immigration records

Draft Card

There are 247,000 military records available for the last name Mcdonald. For the veterans among your Mcdonald ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mcdonald military records

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Mcdonald Life Expectancy

What is the average Mcdonald lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Mcdonald life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Mcdonald in 1940 was 24, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mcdonald

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mcdonald ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Mcdonald Family Ancestors

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