McGill, MacGill, Macgill or Magill is a Scottish and Irish surname, an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac an Ghoill, meaning "son of the stranger". In the 2000 United States Census the surname was ranked the 1,218th most common. (source: Wikipedia)

Motto: Sine Fine (without end)

Welcome to the McGill DNA page. If you have McGill or a spelling variant in your family tree, then you are welcome here. The group started out as a Y-DNA project. But those with autosomal DNA or mitochondrial DNA questions can join as well.

For an excellent introduction to genetic genealogy concepts see: https://sites.google.com/site/wheatonsurname/beginners-guide-to-genetic-genealogy

Background of several McGill branches

The McGills in the "Glens of Antrim" are believed to have come from Scotland around 1350-1390, possibly to fight as gallowglasses (foreign mercenary soldiers) for the McDonald clan.

The McGills near Ardara, Co. Donegal are believed to be a branch of the Glenarm McGill, who settled in this area around 1650.

The McGill families near Convoy, Co. Donegal are believed to have come from Co. Tyrone.

The McGill families near Gilford, Co. Down are believed to be Presbyterian Scots who settled later (1600's).

(More information to come on the Scottish McGill families).

There are some Page families from the Galway area that were originally McGill/Magill (source?).

There are some Stapleton families that changed their name to McGill (source?).