2000
#7,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Macdougall
Son of Dougall, a Gaelic personal name meaning "dark stranger" or "black stranger."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,781 Americans carry the last name Macdougall. That puts it at #7,655 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,691 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macdougall 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 Macdougall with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,691
Census rank
#7,655
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,169 bearers of the surname Macdougall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7655th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdougall, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macdougall
The surname MacDougall is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic mac Dughail, meaning "son of Dougall". It originated in the region of Argyll, on the western coast of Scotland.
The name is believed to have emerged in the 12th century, with the earliest recorded instance being Dougal de Ergadia in 1164. This Dougal de Ergadia was a descendant of the ancient Celtic royal house of Lorn and held lands in Argyll.
In the 13th century, the MacDougalls were influential lords in the region of Lorn and Argyll. They were engaged in various conflicts with neighboring clans, such as the Campbells and the MacDonalds. One notable figure was Alexander MacDougall, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
The MacDougalls are mentioned in several historical records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Chronicles of Fordun. In 1369, John MacDougall of Lorn is recorded as having paid homage to King David II of Scotland.
In the 15th century, the MacDougalls were involved in the Wars of the Roses in England, with some members supporting the Lancastrian cause. One notable figure from this period was Dougal MacDougall, who fought at the Battle of Towton in 1461.
Over the centuries, the surname has been spelled in various ways, including McDougall, McDugald, and McDougal. It has also been associated with several place names, such as Dunollie Castle in Oban, which was once a seat of the MacDougall chiefs.
Some notable individuals with the surname MacDougall throughout history include:
1. John MacDougall (1745-1823), a Scottish-American entrepreneur and landowner in Nova Scotia.
2. Sir Patrick MacDougall (1834-1894), a Scottish journalist and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
3. William MacDougall (1822-1905), a Canadian politician and statesman who served as the first Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories.
4. Gladys MacDougall (1905-1999), a British actress and singer known for her work in musical theater.
5. Ranald MacDougall (1915-1973), an American screenwriter and novelist best known for his work on the film Cleopatra (1963).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macdougall
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdougall, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Macdougall 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 Macdougall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 3,855
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 144
- Two or more races2.7% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 34
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macdougall
Macdougall 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
#7,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,296
+153 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 308 places
2020
#7,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,169
-127 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,417 | 4,143 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,725 | 4,296 | 1.46 | +153 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 308 places |
| 2020 | #7,655 | 4,169 | 1.39 | -127 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 70 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 Macdougall 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 | #7,725 | #7,655 | 0.9% |
| Count | 4,296 | 4,169 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.39 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macdougall bearers went from 4,296 to 4,169 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,725 to #7,655.
FAQ
Macdougall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macdougall?
Name Census estimates that about 4,781 living Americans carry the surname Macdougall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,691 residents.
How common is Macdougall?
Macdougall ranks #7,655 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 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 4,169 people with the surname Macdougall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,781), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 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 Macdougall.
Has Macdougall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macdougall went from 4,296 recorded bearers to 4,169. That is a decrease of 127 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,725 to #7,655.
What does the Census say about the background of Macdougall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdougall, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Macdougall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (3,855 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macdougall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Macdougall (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 Macdougall mean?
Son of Dougall, a Gaelic personal name meaning "dark stranger" or "black stranger." 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 Macdougall (1.39 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 Macdougall?
Find out how many people have the surname Macdougall on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.