About the McDonnell surname
The surname McDonnell is associated with a patronymic formation. The Mac-/Mc- formation is traditionally patronymic and means “son of” in Gaelic languages. The name therefore belongs to a tradition in which an ancestor's given name gradually became a hereditary surname. The prefix in McDonnell belongs to a family of Gaelic forms traditionally used in patronymic surnames and is generally associated with descent.
Pronunciation:
Èm-sé-dou-neul/ɛmsedunœl/