MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are anglicized forms of the Scottish/Irish Gaelic name "Mac Dhomhnuill", a patronymic from the personal name "Domhnall". Domhnall means world ruler and Mac means son of.

In the context of Scottish Clans, the various forms of the name refer to one of the largest clans, Clan Donald.

Notable people: MacDonald surname

Born after 1400

• John of Islay, Earl of Ross or "John MacDonald" (1434–1503), Scottish ruler, Fourth Lord of the Isles, Chief of the Highland Clan Donald

Born after 1700

• Jacques MacDonald (1765–1840), French Duke of Tarento and Marshal of the Empire under Napoleon I (2nd generation French; father was Scottish)
• John Small MacDonald (c.1791–1849), Canadian businessman and provincial politician

Born after 1800

• George MacDonald (1824–1905), Scottish-English author, poet, and Christian minister
• Sir John Alexander Macdonald (1815-1891), first Prime minister of Canada
• John L. MacDonald (1838–1903), Scottish-American national politician
• Sir Claude Maxwell MacDonald (1852–1915), British soldier and diplomat
• Sir Hector MacDonald (1853–1903), Scottish Major-General of the British Army under Lord Kitchener
• Ramsay MacDonald (1866–1937), Scottish politician, twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (illegitimate son of "Macdonald" father and "Ramsay" mother, registered at birth as "James McDonald Ramsay")
• Ranald MacDonald (1834–1894), Scottish-Chinook educator. First man to teach the English language in Japan
• William Josiah MacDonald (1873–1946), American lawyer and national politician

Born after 1900

• Jeanette MacDonald (1903–1965), American singer and actress
• Ian MacDonald (actor) (1914–1978), American actor and director during the 1940s and 1960s
• John D. MacDonald (1916–1986), American novelist
• Charles B. MacDonald (1922–1990), American World War II soldier and military historian
• Jeffrey R. MacDonald (born 1943), American murderer
• Kevin B. MacDonald (born 1944), American psychology academic
• John MacDonald (Canadian musician) (born 1948), Canadian musician of the French horn (current residence, Germany)
• Ross Macdonald (1915–1983), pseudonym of the American-Canadian writer Kenneth Millar

Born after 1950

• Andrew McDonald (born 1955), American water polo player
• Ann-Marie MacDonald (born 1958), Canadian playwright, novelist, actor and broadcast journalist (born in West Germany to Canadian military parents)
• Kevin MacDonald (footballer) (born 1960), Scottish footballer
• William J. MacDonald (writer and producer) (living), American television writer and producer
• Mike MacDonald (living), French-Canadian comedian and actor
• Roddy (R.S.) MacDonald (living), Scottish-Australian Pipe Major and composer (26 year residence in England)
• Kelly MacDonald (born 1988), Canadian diver
• Shaun MacDonald (born 1988), Welsh footballer