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

MacIntosh, 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 MacIntosh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of MacIntosh in America

MacIntosh is the 13010th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The MacIntosh surname appeared 2,359 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname MacIntosh.

We can also compare 2010 data for MacIntosh 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 MacIntosh

The surname MacIntosh has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Toisich," which means "son of the chief" or "son of the leader." This suggests that the name was originally borne by the sons of Scottish clan chiefs or other influential figures.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1296, where it is spelled "Makyntoysiche." Over time, various spelling variations emerged, including MacIntosh, MacKintosh, and McIntosh.

In the 14th century, the MacIntosh clan played a prominent role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. The clan's chief at the time, Shaw MacDuff MacIntosh, led his men into battle alongside Robert the Bruce, the King of Scots.

The MacIntosh name is also closely associated with the town of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. One of the earliest recorded instances of the place name "Inverness" can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is referred to as "Inbhir Nis" in the year 1180.

One notable figure bearing the MacIntosh surname was Sir John MacIntosh (c. 1590-1649), a Scottish soldier and landowner who served as a colonel in the Royalist army during the English Civil War. He was killed in battle during the siege of Inverness in 1649.

Another prominent MacIntosh was Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), a Scottish architect, designer, and artist who was a prominent figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and a pioneer of the Art Nouveau style. His work, including the Glasgow School of Art and the Willow Tea Rooms, is widely celebrated for its innovative designs and distinctive aesthetic.

Other notable individuals with the MacIntosh surname include:

1. Lachlan MacIntosh (c. 1725-1806), a Scottish-American soldier and politician who served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

2. James MacIntosh (1765-1832), a Scottish philosopher and lawyer who served as a member of parliament and was known for his contributions to political philosophy and jurisprudence.

3. Maria Jane MacIntosh (1803-1878), an English novelist and travel writer who published several popular novels in the mid-19th century.

4. Everard MacIntosh (1870-1923), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and was a prominent advocate for workers' rights and social reform.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name MacIntosh

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

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 MacIntosh 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 MacIntosh 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 MacIntosh was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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