Find out how popular the last name MacGill is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named MacGill.

MacGill, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the MacGill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of MacGill in America

MacGill is the 71042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The MacGill surname appeared 275 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname MacGill.

We can also compare 2010 data for MacGill to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name MacGill

The surname MACGILL originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "gill" meaning "servant" or "follower." The name is believed to have been first used to identify someone who was a follower or servant of a prominent clan chief or lord.

In the 13th century, a variant spelling of the name, "MacGyll," appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were financial records kept by the Scottish government. This indicates that the name was in use during that time period and was likely associated with individuals who served in administrative or official capacities.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname MACGILL was John MacGill, who was born around 1300 in Ayrshire, Scotland. He was a notable ecclesiastic and served as the Bishop of Dunkeld from 1347 until his death in 1368.

Another prominent figure was Sir James MacGill, who lived in the 16th century. He was a Scottish lawyer and statesman, serving as Lord Clerk Register of Scotland from 1554 to 1558. He played a significant role in the political and legal affairs of the time.

In the 17th century, Thomas MacGill, born around 1615, was a Presbyterian minister and author. He wrote several religious works and was known for his involvement in the Covenanter movement, a Scottish Presbyterian movement that sought to maintain the independence of the Church of Scotland from the English crown.

Moving forward to the 18th century, Patrick MacGill, born in 1670 in Ayrshire, was a renowned mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of navigation and published works on the calculation of longitude at sea.

In the 19th century, William MacGill, born in 1801 in Lanarkshire, was a prominent Scottish poet and songwriter. He wrote many popular songs and ballads that celebrated Scottish culture and traditions.

Throughout its history, the surname MACGILL has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, lawyers, academics, and artists. While the name originated in Scotland, it has since been carried across the globe by those of Scottish descent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name MacGill

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname MacGill.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for MacGill was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of MacGill has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name MacGill was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of MacGill, please contact us.

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