Scottish and Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac
Dhomhnuill ‘son of Domhnall’ (see McDonald).
Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Conaill ‘son of
Conall’, a personal name probably composed of the elements
con, an inflected form of cú ‘hound’ or ‘wolf’, +
gal ‘valor’. This was borne by many early chieftains and
warriors of Ireland, including the Ulster hero Conall Cearnach, and
one of the two sons of Niall of the Nine Hostages, who gave his name
to Tir Conaill ‘Conall’s land’, otherwise known as County
Donegal. It was further popularized by the fame of a 7th-century Irish
saint, abbot of Inis Caoil.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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