2000
#17,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,443
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.53
Rare Last name
Macdowell
A Scottish surname referring to a descendant of someone named Dougal, a diminutive form of the given name Dougal.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,569 Americans carry the last name Macdowell. That puts it at #19,711 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 218,454 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macdowell 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
1.6K
1 in 218,454
Census rank
#19,711
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,368 bearers of the surname Macdowell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19711th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macdowell
The surname MacDowell has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Dúghall" which is a personal name of Norse origin, meaning "dark stranger" or "dark foreigner".
The MacDowell name is believed to have originated in the western Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Lochaber. The earliest recorded spellings of the name include McDougall, MacDougall, and MacDougal, which were used interchangeably in early records.
One of the earliest historical references to the MacDowell name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists several individuals bearing the name who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland.
In the 14th century, the MacDowell clan was prominent in the Isles of Mull and Lorne, where they held considerable power and influence. Sir John MacDougall of Lorn, who lived in the late 13th century, is considered one of the most notable figures in the clan's history.
The MacDowell name has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Dunollie Castle near Oban, which was once a stronghold of the clan. Additionally, the village of Lochgoilhead in Argyll was historically known as Clachan Dhughaill, meaning "the village of MacDougall".
Notable individuals with the MacDowell surname include:
1. Alexander McDougall (1732-1786), a Scottish-American soldier and politician who served as a major general during the American Revolutionary War.
2. Mary MacDowell (1807-1885), a Scottish writer and novelist known for her works depicting Scottish rural life.
3. Edward MacDowell (1860-1908), an American composer and pianist often referred to as the "father of American music".
4. Andie MacDowell (born 1958), an American actress known for films such as "Groundhog Day" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral".
5. Glenn MacDougall (born 1956), a Scottish football player who played for several clubs, including Dundee United and Celtic.
The MacDowell name has a rich history deeply rooted in the Scottish Highlands, with a legacy spanning centuries and numerous notable individuals who have contributed to various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macdowell
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Macdowell 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 Macdowell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 1,245
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 43
- Two or more races2.8% · 38
- Black or African American1.8% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macdowell
Macdowell 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
#19,027
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,431
-12 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Down 1,143 places
2020
#19,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,368
-63 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Down 684 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,884 | 1,443 | 0.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,027 | 1,431 | 0.49 | -12 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 1,143 places |
| 2020 | #19,711 | 1,368 | 0.46 | -63 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 684 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 Macdowell 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 | #19,027 | #19,711 | -3.6% |
| Count | 1,431 | 1,368 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.49 | 0.46 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macdowell bearers went from 1,431 to 1,368 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 684 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,027 to #19,711.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Macdowell
FAQ
Macdowell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macdowell?
Name Census estimates that about 1,569 living Americans carry the surname Macdowell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 218,454 residents.
How common is Macdowell?
Macdowell ranks #19,711 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.46 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 1,368 people with the surname Macdowell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,569), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.46 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 Macdowell.
Has Macdowell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macdowell went from 1,431 recorded bearers to 1,368. That is a decrease of 63 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,027 to #19,711.
What does the Census say about the background of Macdowell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macdowell, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Macdowell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (1,245 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macdowell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Macdowell (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 Macdowell mean?
A Scottish surname referring to a descendant of someone named Dougal, a diminutive form of the given name 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 Macdowell (0.46 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 Americans have the surname Macdowell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.