Hi, I'm from the Macdonald spelling also.
My great grandfather, Donald was born in 1831 in Glasgow (I think) He married in Montreal in about 1867. I can't find who his parents are. I believe that far back we were part of the Lord of the Isles but I feel that we are probably Clanranald.
Most of our family were from Montreal but I'm originally from Vancouver, now living in California

the small d doesn't matter at all some of my McDonald,MacDonald,Mcdonald, and even mdonald, are even donald so get the birth registrations for them and marriage certificates and go from there vast amounts of information.

I don't think you can read much, if anything into to "big" d "little" d, or indeed the "Mac" or "Mc". From my experience the spelling is fluid between generations. My grandfather used "D", my father "d" which I use, and my brother has reverted back to "D". In a 1911 census I found the record of a father using Macdonald and his son McDonald.

Ian - Are you the nephew of Barbara Ferguson MacDonald?
Kathy MacDonald-Baker

Re Nephew of Barbara Ferguson Macdonald. I have not come across any Barbara’s in our family but my records of people after the 1920s are thin on the ground even though there are a number of Ferguson Macdonalds and Macdonald Fergusons in My family tree. Any help would be appreciated as I very interested the both lines of the family who originate from the Croy & Petty area of Inverness Scotland..

My contact is ian@ifmacdonald.fsnet.co.uk

Regards Ian F Macdonald

Facts Regarding the Family name of Macdonald

MacD (or any other Mac[upper case letter] was supposedly reserved for the head of the clan with the macd form being taken by lesser mortals. The McD form most likely originates through poor literacy and/or laziness either of the owner or other parties addressing that person. Although I use the Macd form my
G Grandfather used the McD style in his latter years but his wife always reverted to the correct spelling

MacDonald was supposed to reserved for people who are in direct line to the leader of Clan Donald.

McDonald Name Meaning and History
Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Dhomhnuill, a patronymic from the personal name Domhnall, which is composed of the ancient Celtic elements domno- ‘world’ + val- ‘might’, ‘rule’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4

Looking for relatives macdonalds mcdonald's ect... anyone related to any of these in ontario canada??? And of course Mc Donald's I was being lazy. I am relted to all spellings. I am from grey county. My grandmother was a Mac Donald but even some of her family was spelled mc or mac ect.... I am wanting to get as much inforamtion as i can. Mac Donald's buried in Durham cemtery West grey ontario are Hugh Mac Donald Earl Mac Donald, Arthur Mac Donald ect...... Please let me know if you can help Kim Garvey box 1022 Durham Ontario Canada nog 1ro or phone number is 519 369-1528 will not be staying with ancestry but do it all the time. Please let me know anyone.

Gordon;
I think you might be related to my husband Kenneth R. Macdonald.
His father was Alistar James Robert Macdonald and the entire family included grandma Mary and grandfather Kenneth insisted on no small d.
If you think you are related please email and we can give you much information beside I am sure Ken would love to talk to you.
Irene Toy-Macdonald troy_i@bellsouth.net

I am aware of the differences in Mac, Mc, Mac but I would love to hear or see what you have on the Macdonald Clan.
My husband is Kenneth Roderick Macdonald his father was born in Scotland to Kenneth and Mary Macdonald, his brother Kenneth had a son Gordon.
We have been tracing the family and have done fairly well but there are times I just get confused so any help would be lovely, plus I just like information in general.

Hi Gordon, I'm a second generation Canadian, whose paternal grandparents both came from Lewis. My grandfather spelt his name in all three variants at various times in his life. My grandmother, apparently, spelt hers "MacD" as her maiden name (she was from another part of Lewis than my grandfather) and then "Macd" after marriage to my grandfather.

My father used to tell me that, since the Second World War, there has been some attempt to standardize on:
"MacD" means highlander;
"Macd" means islander; and
"McD" were the Northern Irish, some of whom got there by way of Harris/ Uist/ Barra and others by way of the Highland Clearances.

I don't know how much truth there is in any of it. I suppose the Clan Donald organization in Skye would be the ultimate authority on any "official" meanings.