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Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!
You asked for our opinion of <Donald MacDhais> or <Domhnall MacDhais> as a name for a merchant mariner from 15th century Fife in Scotland. Here is what we have found.
In your period, Scotland was divided between two languages: Gaelic, spoken in the Highlands; and Scots, spoken in the Lowlands and the burghs (towns). Scots was closely related to contemporary English. The two cultures had different naming practices and the two didn't mix. There was some borrowing of names from one language to the other, but these names were adapted to fit the new language and then used according to the new language's customs.
Fife was Scots-speaking in your period: A resident of Fife would not have used a Gaelic name. This is particularly true of a merchant and mariner, who would perforce have been based in one of the burghs, which were the commercial centers of Scotland. If you want a Gaelic name, then you will need to move your persona out of the burghs and into the Highlands. If you want a Gaelic name and persona, write us again and we'll be happy to give you further advice.
<Donald> was probably used in Fife in your period; we find it recorded in Aberdeen and Inverness in the 15th century. The Gaelic <Domnall> was in use in your period, but only in Gaelic; your persona would not have used it [1].
<MacDhais> is a misinterpretation of your source. You sent us the
In 1296, along with the Mackintoshes and Macphersons, they met the Camerons in battle at Invernahaven. The Macphersons and MacDhais (Davidsons) disputed priority. Mackintosh favoured the Davidsons, and the Macphersons left the field. [2]
The word <MacDhais> refers to the entire family, like <MacPhersons>. The family name is <MacDhai>, without the final 's'. Modern books about Scottish clans are very unreliable sources for medieval names. The authors of these books tend to use modern forms of names, even when discussing events long before those modern forms existed. <MacDhai> is one such example. <MacDhai> (pronounced \mahk KAY\) is Gaelic and means "son of Dai"; <Dai> or <Daidh> is Gaelic nickname for <David>. Thus, <MacDhai> has been used as a Gaelic equivalent of the Scots surname <Davidson> [1 s.nn. Deasson, Davidson, Day, Mackay]. We aren't sure whether <Mac Dhai>, <Mac
Dhiadh>, or <Mac Daidh> were in use in Gaelic before 1600; but we are
fairly certainly that the association with <Davidson> is modern. In the
18th and 19th centuries, it was fashionable for Scots families to Gaelicize
their names and claim ancient clan lineages, even if they had to invent
them.
Regardless of its origin, a Gaelic patronymic is not appropriate for a Scots speaker. Scots names were generally very similar in appearance to contemporary English names. For example, <Donald Symonson> is recorded in Inverness in 1481 [1 s.n. Donald]. You could use a 15th century form of <Davidson>; we found these forms [1 s.n. Davidson]:
Davidson (Aberdeen 1408; Ayr 1430)
Davison (Irvine 1426)
Davisoun (1429)
Dauison (1453; the 'u' represents a 'v')
Davysone (Linlithgow 1427)
Davidsone (Peebles 1473; Dundee 1492)
Davyson (Dundee 1484)
If you want a byname which refers to your occupation, you might consider <Merchande>, recorded in the burgh of Dumbarton in 1456, or <Mersare>, recorded 1428. The latter name is a form of <Mercer>, which is another word for a merchant, particularly a dealer in fabrics [1 s.nn. Mercer, Merchant]. <Donald Merchande> or <Donald Mersare> would be fine names for your persona.
In none of these possibilities appeals to you, you may want to browse through reference [1], which is widely available in libraries and among Society heralds. Ignore all the names beginning <Mac>, and look for names cited in the 15th century, particularly in the coastal burghs of Fife (St. Andrews, Dysart, Crail, Kirkaldy).
I hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Effrick neyn Kenneoch.
For the Academy,
Arval Benicoeur
References
[1] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and
History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986).
[2] Innes of Learney, Sir Thomas, _The Scottish Tartans: Tartans: With
Historical Sketches of the Clans and Families of Scotland_