This is one of the rarest Scottish names and is a derivative of the Olde Gaelic Mac Dhonnchaidh, translating as 'the son of the Donagh', itself possibly a form of the personal name 'Denis'. As 'Denis' can also translate as 'The Dane' it suggests that the definitive origin may well be Viking pre 8th Century! However the more usual surname spelling is Mconahey or possibly Maccone, although as is the case with all alternative spelling, a measure of uncertainty must always exist. In Scotland the name seems to have centred around Lauark, although even then all records are 19th Century. The name appears once in London when Frances McOnie was christened at St. Pancras Olde Church, on April 27th 1868. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alexander McOnie, which was dated January 29th 1819, christened at Glasgow, Scotland, during the reign of King George III, Farmer George, 1760 - 1820. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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