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

Macaya, 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 Macaya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Macaya in America

Macaya is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Macaya surname appeared 172 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 Macaya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Macaya 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 Macaya

The surname Macaya has its origins in Spain, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "macayo," which referred to a type of stone used in construction. The name may have been given to someone who worked with this particular type of stone or lived near a quarry where it was mined.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Macaya surname can be found in the archives of the town of Alicante, where a document from 1573 mentions a certain Juan Macaya. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 17th century, the Macaya family appears to have spread to other parts of Spain, including Catalonia and Aragon. Several historical documents from this period mention individuals with the Macaya surname, such as Pedro Macaya, a merchant from Barcelona, born in 1625.

As the centuries passed, members of the Macaya family continued to make their mark in various fields. Notably, Francisco Macaya y Gibert (1789-1865) was a prominent Spanish politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Supreme Court of Spain during the reign of Queen Isabella II.

Another notable figure was the Catalan painter and sculptor, Antonio Macaya Salvá (1847-1924), whose works can be found in several museums and galleries in Barcelona and other parts of Spain.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals to bear the Macaya surname was the Spanish architect and urban planner, José Antonio Macaya Lahíttete (1902-1985). He was responsible for the design of several iconic buildings and urban developments in Madrid and other Spanish cities.

Beyond Spain, the Macaya surname has also appeared in various parts of Latin America, particularly in countries with a strong Spanish colonial influence. For instance, in Colombia, there is a municipality called Macaya in the department of Cauca, which may have derived its name from the surname.

Overall, the surname Macaya has a rich history that can be traced back to its Spanish roots, with notable individuals bearing the name across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Macaya

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

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 Macaya 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 Macaya 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 Macaya was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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