Macauley
An Irish surname derived from the prefix Mac, meaning "son of", combined with Auley, a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,782 Americans carry the last name Macauley. That puts it at #18,116 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 192,343 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macauley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.8K
1 in 192,343
Census rank
#18,116
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,537 bearers of the surname Macauley in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18116th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macauley, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macauley
The surname MACAULEY is of Scottish origin, derived from the personal name Aulay, which is a Gaelic form of the Latin name Olaus. The name is believed to have originated in the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands.
The prefix "Mac" in the name MACAULEY means "son of" in Gaelic, indicating that the name originally referred to the son of a person named Aulay. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Scottish records and manuscripts.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Aulay MacAulay, a Scottish knight who lived in the late 13th century and fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English. He was a staunch supporter of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.
Another notable historical figure with the name MACAULEY was Reverend Aulay Macaulay, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived in the 17th century and was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation. He was born in 1619 and died in 1666.
In the 18th century, Thomas Babington Macaulay, a renowned English historian, essayist, and politician, was born in 1800 to a family with Scottish roots. His works, such as the "History of England" and his essays on various subjects, were widely influential and celebrated.
The name MACAULEY can also be found in various place names in Scotland, such as Macaulay Island and Macaulay Point in the Hebrides, reflecting the historical presence of the name in these regions.
Another notable bearer of the name was Aulay Macaulay, a Scottish author and journalist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in 1866 and died in 1936, and his works included novels, short stories, and historical writings.
Overall, the surname MACAULEY has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands, with various notable individuals bearing the name throughout the centuries, contributing to various fields such as literature, religion, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macauley
Among Census respondents with the surname Macauley, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Macauley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Macauley surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.4%
- Black or African American16.3%
- Two or more races3.1%
- Hispanic or Latino2.7%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Macauley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,116 | #18,116 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,537 | 1,537 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.52 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Macauley bearers went from 1,537 to 1,537 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #18,116 to #18,116.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Macauley
FAQ
Macauley surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Macauley?
The surname Macauley holds position #18,116 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,782 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.52 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Macauley surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macauley, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.