2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Macdermaid
An anglicized Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic 'mac Dearmaid' meaning son of Dermid or Diarmaid.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Macdermaid. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macdermaid 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Macdermaid in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdermaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macdermaid
The surname MACDERMAID has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is a variant of the Scottish surname MacDiarmid, which is derived from the Gaelic name "Diarmaid," meaning "freeman" or "son of Dermid." The prefix "Mac" simply means "son of" in Gaelic.
MACDERMAID likely originated in the Argyll region of western Scotland, where the MacDiarmid clan was historically based. The earliest recorded spelling variations of the name include MacDermid, MacDermott, and McDermaid. These variations were common due to the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
One of the earliest known references to the MACDERMAID surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were government records of financial transactions. In 1329, a "Gillecrist McDermid" is mentioned in these rolls, indicating the presence of the name in the early 14th century.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the MACDERMAID name was John MacDermaid, a Scottish scholar and Protestant reformer. He was born around 1510 and was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation, advocating for the translation of the Bible into Scottish Gaelic.
Another historical figure with the MACDERMAID surname was Alexander MacDermaid, who lived in the late 17th century. He was a Scottish soldier and served as a captain in the Earl of Argyll's Regiment during the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the MACDERMAID name was Duncan MacDermaid (1705-1788), a Scottish poet and schoolmaster from Argyllshire. He is best known for his collection of Gaelic poetry, which was widely celebrated in his time.
During the 19th century, the MACDERMAID surname spread beyond Scotland as families migrated to other parts of the United Kingdom and abroad. One notable individual from this period was Archibald MacDermaid (1831-1899), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.
Throughout its history, the MACDERMAID surname has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish roots and the MacDiarmid clan. While variations in spelling have occurred over time, the name continues to be associated with the Gaelic heritage and cultural traditions of Scotland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macdermaid
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdermaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Macdermaid 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 Macdermaid surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 96
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macdermaid
Macdermaid appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-12 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,429 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 8,429 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 Macdermaid 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 | #147,253 | #155,682 | -5.7% |
| Count | 112 | 100 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macdermaid bearers went from 112 to 100 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 8,429 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #155,682.
FAQ
Macdermaid surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macdermaid?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Macdermaid. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Macdermaid?
Macdermaid ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Macdermaid. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Macdermaid.
Has Macdermaid become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macdermaid went from 112 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Macdermaid?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdermaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Macdermaid in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macdermaid appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Macdermaid (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 Macdermaid mean?
An anglicized Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic 'mac Dearmaid' meaning son of Dermid or Diarmaid. 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 Macdermaid (0.03 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 common is the surname Macdermaid?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Macdermaid on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.