2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Macalik
A Scottish surname likely derived from the Gaelic name "MacDhomhnuill".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Macalik. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macalik surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Macalik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macalik, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macalik
The surname MACALIK originates from the Scottish Highlands, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "ailick" or "alik," which is believed to be a diminutive form of the name "Alexander." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to the son of someone named Alexander.
The earliest recorded instances of the name MACALIK can be found in ancient Scottish clan records and parish registries from the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable mention is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which lists a "Gillebride MacAlik" from the Isle of Islay.
In the 14th century, the MACALIK name appears to have been concentrated in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles, where several variations of the spelling, such as "MacAilyk" and "MacAylik," were common. During this time, the name was also associated with the powerful Clan Donald, one of the largest Scottish clans.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname MACALIK was Iain MacAlik, a renowned warrior who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another notable figure was Angus MacAlik (c. 1450-1520), a respected chieftain and landowner in the Isle of Mull.
In the 16th century, the MACALIK name spread to other parts of Scotland, with records showing families in Inverness, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh. A prominent individual from this era was Malcolm MacAlik (1530-1598), a respected scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Caithness.
As the centuries progressed, the MACALIK name continued to be prevalent in Scotland, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in different regions. Some notable individuals include Donald MacAlik (1650-1720), a skilled architect who contributed to the design of several historic buildings in Edinburgh, and Iain MacAlik (1790-1865), a renowned poet and Gaelic scholar from the Isle of Skye.
Throughout its history, the surname MACALIK has been associated with Scottish heritage, tradition, and resilience, reflecting the rugged and strong-willed nature of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macalik
Among Census respondents with the surname Macalik, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Macalik bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Macalik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macalik
Macalik appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
+21 bearers (+19.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,799 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-7 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | +21 bearers (+19.8%) | Up 10,799 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 9,001 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Macalik surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #133,048 | #142,049 | -6.8% |
| Count | 127 | 120 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macalik bearers went from 127 to 120 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 9,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #142,049.
FAQ
Macalik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macalik?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Macalik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Macalik?
Macalik ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Macalik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Macalik.
Has Macalik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macalik went from 127 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Macalik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macalik, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Macalik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macalik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Macalik (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Macalik mean?
A Scottish surname likely derived from the Gaelic name "MacDhomhnuill". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Macalik (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Macalik?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.