A post from the MaDANIEL List which may interest some. <<< Until about 1100 A.D. most people in Europe (where the McDaniel name originated) had only one name. As the population increased it became awkward to live in a village where perhaps one-third of the males were John, another sizable percentage William and so forth. So to distinguish one John from another a second name was added. The four primary sources for the second name were: father's name, occupation, location and personal characteristic. The McDaniel surname appears to be both father's name and personal characteristic in origin. It is believed to be associated with the Scots, Welsh and English and has the meaning " Son of Daniel" or " Dienal" (attractive) and it also meant; one who was attractive plus full of wisdom. (The Biblical Daniel means-"Judged of God.") An old Coat of Arms is "Azure Lion Rampart Or"-or a standing gold colored lion on a shield of blue without a family motto. As the Coat of Arms is simple in construction, it probably was issued around 1100 A.D., when Coat of Arms first began to be used. This Coat of Arms is representative, as the McDaniel who was assigned it is not known. Coat of Arms are, and were, assigned to individuals, not families. Yes, McDaniel originated within Clan McDonald and is know as a Sept, or branch, of the McDonalds. In the 1600 and 1700s McDaniel and McDonald were often used interchangeably. Beginning around early 1800 the mixing of names began to become rare. Today each is a distinct surname, at least in the United States. In North Ireland, where I was the guest of a McDaniel family, the name is pronounced "Mur" Daniel not as we American say "Mack" Daniel. Curtis McDaniel >>> John R. Clarke Thomasville, GA