McDowell Name Study — The McDowell Surname and Its Variants

Date: 9 Nov 2023 [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: McDowell, MacDowell, McDowall, MacDowall, McDuell, MacDuell

Origins of the McDowell Surname

Any internet search of McDowell origins points us back to the Middle Ages in Scotland. The name is thought to have originated around Galloway, which is located in southwest Scotland, close to the modern border with England. The name derives from the Gaelic "Mac Dubhgaill," which translates as "son of the dark foreigner/stranger," a term used to distinguish the dark-haired Danes from the fair-haired Norse Viking raiders.

McDowells began making their way to Ireland in the 1600s as part of the Plantation of Ulster (1610-1630), with emigration continuing throughout the 17th century due to such factors as unbearably high rents, persecution of Covenanters, and successive crop failures in Scotland.

Where You Can Find the McDowell Surname

Today, McDowells are found across the world. Given the widespread emigration from Scotland and Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries, perhaps it isn't surprising that the name is most frequent in the United States, followed by England, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Scotland sees the next highest frequency, followed somewhat surprisingly by Jamaica before Ireland. The name is also found in small numbers in other places such as Thailand, South Africa, Wales, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Honduras, and Brazil.

Spellings Appearing in Historical Records and Today

The study profile manager has documented the following alternative spellings in Colonial documents in the then-British Colony of Virginia: McDuel, McDuell, Mackduel, Mckduel, Mckduell, Mckduoell, Mckdewell, Mackdowel, MacDuel, MacDuil, Muckdewell.