Find out how popular the last name Macala is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Macala.

Macala, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Macala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Macala in America

Macala is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Macala surname appeared 117 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Macala.

We can also compare 2010 data for Macala to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Macala

The surname Macala is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "macala," which means "a small village or hamlet." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to identify someone who hailed from a particular small town or rural area.

Historical records indicate that the Macala surname first appeared in written form in the late 13th century, with references to individuals bearing the name found in various legal documents and records from that era. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the Libro de las Behetrias de Castilla from 1283, which lists a certain Pedro Macala as a landowner in the region of Burgos.

In the 14th century, the Macala name appears to have spread across various regions of Spain, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in areas such as Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia. One notable figure from this period was Juan Macala, a merchant from Barcelona who was involved in the lucrative trade routes between Spain and the Mediterranean.

As the centuries progressed, the Macala surname continued to be found throughout Spain, with some variations in spelling occurring, such as Macalla, Macalas, and Macalá. During the 16th century, the name gained prominence in the region of Andalusia, with several members of the Macala family serving in influential positions within the local government and church.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Macala surname was Padre Tomás Macala, a Jesuit priest and scholar who authored several treatises on theology and philosophy. His works were widely read and influential during his lifetime (1598-1672).

Another prominent individual with the Macala name was Doña Isabel Macala (1711-1789), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Seville. She was known for her generous donations to various charitable causes and for establishing a school for underprivileged children in her hometown.

As the centuries progressed and emigration from Spain increased, the Macala surname began to spread to other parts of the world, particularly to the Americas and various European countries. However, its roots and origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, where it first emerged as a name associated with small rural communities and villages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Macala

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Macala.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Macala was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Macala has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Macala was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Macala, please contact us.

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