2000
#42,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 474
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Macdougal
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of Dougal".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 467 Americans carry the last name Macdougal. That puts it at #54,637 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 733,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macdougal 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 Macdougal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
467
1 in 733,949
Census rank
#54,637
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
407
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 407 bearers of the surname Macdougal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 54637th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdougal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macdougal
The surname MacDougal is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name MacDougaill, which means "son of Dougall". The name Dougall itself is a variant of the name Dugald or Dougal, which comes from the Gaelic name Dúngal, meaning "brown stranger" or "brown valor".
The MacDougals were a prominent family in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the region of Argyll and Lorne. They were a branch of the Clan MacDonald and played a significant role in the feuds and battles that shaped the history of the Scottish clans.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name MacDougal can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of agreements made by Scottish nobles and gentry to recognize Edward I of England as their overlord. Several individuals with the surname MacDougal are listed in these rolls.
In the 14th century, John MacDougal, Lord of Lorne, was a powerful figure in Scottish politics. He was involved in the Wars of Scottish Independence and fought alongside Robert the Bruce. Another notable member of the MacDougal clan was Dougal MacDougall, who was the head of the clan in the late 16th century and played a role in the Jacobite risings.
The MacDougals were also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Dunollie Castle in Argyll, which was the ancient seat of the MacDougal chiefs. The name "Dunollie" is derived from the Gaelic "Dun Ollaigh", meaning "fort of the principal family".
In the 17th century, Sir Duncan MacDougal of Dunollie (1601-1669) was a prominent figure who supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was later knighted by King Charles II in recognition of his loyalty.
Other notable individuals with the surname MacDougal include:
1. James MacDougal (1800-1871), a Scottish-American businessman and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
2. William MacDougal (1642-1696), a Scottish-American printer and publisher who established the first printing press in New York City.
3. Alexander MacDougal (1732-1786), a Scottish-American soldier who served as a Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
4. Ranald MacDougall (1915-1973), a Scottish-American screenwriter and novelist best known for his work on the film "Macao".
5. Katharine MacDougal (1949-present), an American actress and singer who has appeared in various films and television shows.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macdougal
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdougal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Macdougal 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 Macdougal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 382
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 10
- Black or African American1.7% · 7
- Two or more races1.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macdougal
Macdougal 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
#45,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 468
-6 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 2,670 places
2020
#54,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 407
-61 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 8,984 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,983 | 474 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,653 | 468 | 0.16 | -6 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 2,670 places |
| 2020 | #54,637 | 407 | 0.14 | -61 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 8,984 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 Macdougal 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 | #45,653 | #54,637 | -19.7% |
| Count | 468 | 407 | -13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.14 | -14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macdougal bearers went from 468 to 407 (-13.0% change). The surname moved down 8,984 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,653 to #54,637.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Macdougal
FAQ
Macdougal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macdougal?
Name Census estimates that about 467 living Americans carry the surname Macdougal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 733,949 residents.
How common is Macdougal?
Macdougal ranks #54,637 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 407 people with the surname Macdougal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (467), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Macdougal.
Has Macdougal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macdougal went from 468 recorded bearers to 407. That is a decrease of 61 (-13.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #45,653 to #54,637.
What does the Census say about the background of Macdougal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdougal, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Black (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 Macdougal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (382 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macdougal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.5%), Black (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 Macdougal (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 Macdougal mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of Dougal". 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 Macdougal (0.14 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 have the last name Macdougal?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Macdougal at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.