2000
#12,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,219
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Macaulay
Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Amhalghaidh," meaning "son of Amhalghaidh," a personal name meaning "like a prince."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,617 Americans carry the last name Macaulay. That puts it at #12,888 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,972 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macaulay 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Macaulay with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,972
Census rank
#12,888
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,282 bearers of the surname Macaulay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12888th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macaulay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macaulay
The surname MACAULAY is a Scottish name that originated in the Highlands of Scotland, likely during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic words "Mac" meaning "son of" and "Aulay," which is a Gaelic personal name meaning "servant of the Lord."
The earliest recorded use of the name MACAULAY can be traced back to the 16th century in the Scottish Highlands. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Argyll and Bute, where it is believed to have originated.
One of the earliest known references to the name MACAULAY can be found in the "Exchequer Rolls of Scotland" from the late 15th century, where the name appears as "MacAuley." This suggests that the name had already been established and in use among Highland clans by that time.
In the 17th century, the MACAULAY name gained prominence through the exploits of Aulay MACAULAY, a Scottish warrior and chief of the MACAULAY clan who played a significant role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He was born around 1610 and died in 1669.
Another notable figure bearing the MACAULAY surname was Thomas Babington MACAULAY, a renowned English historian, essayist, and poet. He was born in 1800 and died in 1859. MACAULAY's literary works, including his "History of England," had a profound impact on the historical and literary spheres of his time.
In the 19th century, the MACAULAY name gained further recognition with the birth of John MACAULAY, a Scottish explorer and naturalist. He was born in 1835 and played a crucial role in the exploration of the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
During the same period, John Simmons MACAULAY, a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist, made significant contributions to the development of New York City. He was born in 1818 and died in 1897.
Another notable figure with the MACAULAY surname was Rose MACAULAY, an English novelist and travel writer. She was born in 1881 and died in 1958, and her works, including "The Towers of Trebizond," are considered literary classics.
While the MACAULAY name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this surname making notable contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macaulay
Among Census respondents with the surname Macaulay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Macaulay 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 Macaulay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 1,930
- Black or African American7.4% · 168
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 78
- Two or more races3.4% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macaulay
Macaulay 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
#12,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,560
+341 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 590 places
2020
#12,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,282
-278 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 714 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,764 | 2,219 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,174 | 2,560 | 0.87 | +341 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 590 places |
| 2020 | #12,888 | 2,282 | 0.76 | -278 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 714 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 Macaulay 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 | #12,174 | #12,888 | -5.9% |
| Count | 2,560 | 2,282 | -10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.76 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macaulay bearers went from 2,560 to 2,282 (-10.9% change). The surname moved down 714 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,174 to #12,888.
FAQ
Macaulay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macaulay?
Name Census estimates that about 2,617 living Americans carry the surname Macaulay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,972 residents.
How common is Macaulay?
Macaulay ranks #12,888 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,282 people with the surname Macaulay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,617), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Macaulay.
Has Macaulay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macaulay went from 2,560 recorded bearers to 2,282. That is a decrease of 278 (-10.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,174 to #12,888.
What does the Census say about the background of Macaulay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macaulay, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Macaulay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (1,930 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macaulay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Black (7.4%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Macaulay (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 Macaulay mean?
Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Amhalghaidh," meaning "son of Amhalghaidh," a personal name meaning "like a prince." 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 Macaulay (0.76 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 people are called Macaulay?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Macaulay at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.