Scottish:
- McDowell is a habitational name and derives from the lands of McDowell, located near the town of Dumfries in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The McDowell family held the lands of McDowell from at least the 12th century and were hereditary stewards under the Earls of Douglas. The name is believed to come from the Gaelic 'Mac Dubhghaill', meaning 'son of the dark stranger', referring to a Viking ancestor.
Irish:
- McDowell is also an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname 'Mac Dubhghaill', which has the same meaning as the Scottish McDowell, 'son of the dark stranger'. The Mac Dubhghaill sept were from County Derry in Northern Ireland and were a branch of the O'Cahan clan.