Macdonald
MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are surnames of both Irish and Scottish origin. In the Scottish Gaelic and Irish languages they are patronymic, referring to an ancestor with given name Donald.
Meaning & Origin of Macdonald
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are surnames of both Irish and Scottish origin. In the Scottish Gaelic and Irish languages they are patronymic, referring to an ancestor with given name Donald.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Macdonald
Macdonald first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1915, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 9 Macdonalds were born — ranking #2,900 that year. As of 2026, Macdonald ranks #10,667 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 154 Macdonalds have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Macdonald
Phonetically similar names — useful when Macdonald is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Mcdonald
- Mcdonalds
- Mcdonnell
- Macdonalds
- Mcdonell
- Macdonell
- Macdonnell
- Mcconnell
- Mcdowell
- Mcdowall
- Macdowell
- Mcdaniel
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Macdonald
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About the name Macdonald
Macdonald is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 154 births in the dataset. Macdonald's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #2,900. Use the chart and map above to compare Macdonald's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1961 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.