Mcdowell Family History
Mcdowell Name Meaning
Scottish and Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Dubhghaill ‘son of Dubhghall’ a byname meaning ‘dark stranger’ used among the Gaels to distinguish the darker-haired Danes from fair-haired Norwegians. This is the usual Irish spelling of this name while McDougall is the usual Scottish spelling. However McDowall is also common in south west Scotland and a prominent Galloway family with this name first appear in the historical record in the late 13th century.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022