2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Macfall
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "mac" meaning son and "fall" meaning an officer or manager.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Macfall. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macfall 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Macfall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macfall, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macfall
The surname MACFALL has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "fall" meaning "wanderer" or "traveler". The name suggests that the original bearer was a traveler or someone who had journeyed from afar.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a Donald Macfall is mentioned in 1296. This document was a record of financial transactions and land holdings, indicating that the Macfalls were likely landowners or individuals of some means at the time.
The Macfalls were particularly concentrated in the regions of Ayrshire and Galloway in southwestern Scotland. The name is also linked to the village of Falfield in Stirlingshire, which may have been an early settlement for the family.
During the 14th century, the spelling of the name varied, with forms such as "McFaull" and "McFall" appearing in records. This was a common occurrence with Scottish surnames due to the lack of standardized spellings at the time.
One notable bearer of the name was James Macfall (c. 1520-1579), a Scottish clergyman and reformer who played a role in the Scottish Reformation. He served as the minister of Kilwinning Parish Church and was a strong supporter of John Knox's teachings.
Another prominent figure was Sir James Macfall (1664-1712), a Scottish soldier and landowner. He fought in the Jacobite risings and was knighted for his service to the Stuart cause.
In the 18th century, the Macfalls were involved in the Scottish Enlightenment. David Macfall (1727-1803) was a philosopher and professor at the University of Glasgow, known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy.
John Macfall (1789-1867) was a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor. He was instrumental in mapping and charting the western regions of Australia in the early 19th century.
Finally, the artist Robert Macfall (1851-1919) was a notable painter and illustrator from Edinburgh. He was known for his depictions of Scottish landscapes and rural life.
These examples demonstrate the presence of the Macfall surname across various walks of life throughout Scottish history, from clergy and soldiers to intellectuals and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macfall
Among Census respondents with the surname Macfall, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Macfall 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 Macfall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino10.9% · 11
- Two or more races5.0% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macfall
Macfall 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,496 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-11 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,017 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,496 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 8,017 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 Macfall 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 | #155,270 | -5.4% |
| Count | 112 | 101 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macfall bearers went from 112 to 101 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 8,017 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #155,270.
FAQ
Macfall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macfall?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Macfall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Macfall?
Macfall ranks #155,270 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 101 people with the surname Macfall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), 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 Macfall.
Has Macfall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macfall went from 112 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Macfall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macfall, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.9%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Macfall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.2% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macfall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.2%), Hispanic (10.9%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Macfall (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 Macfall mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "mac" meaning son and "fall" meaning an officer or manager. 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 Macfall (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 many people share the surname Macfall?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.