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Mac Donald Family History

Mac Donald Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Macdonald, Mcdonald, Conard, Ronald, La Monaca, La Tona, Mahowald

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Mac Donald family from?

You can see how Mac Donald families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mac Donald family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Mac Donald families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 125 Mac Donald families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Mac Donald's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Mac Donald families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mac Donald surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Mac Donald ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Mac Donald. 40% of Mac Donald men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Mac Donald women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Mac Donald were Furniture Salesman and Unpaid Domestic Dutie.

View Census Data for Mac Donald | Data not to scale

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

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    40%
  • Carpenter
    18%
  • Bus Conductor
    9%
  • Furniture Salesman
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    2%

What Mac Donald family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 75,000 census records available for the last name Mac Donald. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mac Donald census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Mac Donald

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Mac Donald. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Mac Donald immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Mac Donald. For the veterans among your Mac Donald ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mac Donald military records

You've only scratched the surface of Mac Donald family history

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What is the average Mac Donald lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Mac Donald life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Mac Donald in 1952 was 49, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mac Donald

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mac Donald 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.

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