Younger sons who formed cadet lines or stirps from these families inherited, were granted or purchased lands, often castellated. Those stirps from Garthland on record included Elrig, Spotts, Barjarg, Kildonand, Inch, Mindork, Myroch, Knockglass, Dalreagle, Lefnall, Corochtrie, Killaser, Crockuncrush, Castlesemple, Kirriebroom, Woolmet, Walkinshaw and Arndilly. Each contained tenant farms and lands. Scions of Logan included Ardwell, Ringseat and Culgroat; and those of Freugh had Longcastle, Hackburn, and Stratford Hall. A sequence of Swedish baronies stemmed from the family in Makerstoun. 

A number of Macdowalls chiefly of Garthland origin settled in Ireland as McDowells, and thence abroad to North American colonies.  Others of Freugh emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand & Australia, and Makerstoun is represented also in Europe.

In later centuries the spellings of Macdowall with a capital “D” and the letter "e" as in “McDowell” became common especially after many emigrated from Galloway across to Ireland during Plantations of Ulster in the early 1600’s, and then later to North America, including many during the Irish potato famine of the 1840’s. As a result, most members of the family now live in the United States where this spelling of our name is commonly found.

Nowadays the names and spellings with or without the Mac, Mc, or M’ prefix within the Macdowall Kindred include many spelling variations of the surname including McDowell, MacDowel, Macdowal, MacDowyl, McDuyl, Macdoual, McDouall, M’Douall, MacDool, McDoll, Makdougal, Macdougall (the original ancient name of the MacDowalls) etc.  Other names within the MacDowalls include Dowall, Dugal, Dugle, Duwall, Duvall, M’Gowall, Wall, Wahl, etc.  and also Doyle, and O’Dowill.  The Britonic Kyles with Coull, McCoul, Coyle, Cole, and Dole are accepted territorially.  However these and many other variant name spellings are all considered part of the Kindred of MacDowall.