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

Mack, 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 Mack surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mack in America

Mack is the 468th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mack surname appeared 71,056 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Mack.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mack 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 Mack

The surname Mack originated in Scotland and is an Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name MacAoidh or MacAoidheachd, meaning "son of Aodh" or "son of Hugh". Aodh was a common personal name in medieval Scotland, derived from the Old Irish name Áed, meaning "fire" or "ardent".

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in various charters and documents from Scotland. One notable early bearer of the name was Gillebride Mac Aoidh, who was a witness to a charter granted by Willelmus, son of Earl Henry of Atholl, in the late 12th century.

The surname Mack appeared in various spellings throughout history, including MacAoidh, MacAidh, MacAth, and MacKay, before eventually settling on the modern Anglicized form of Mack. Many of these early variations were influenced by the different dialects and regional pronunciations of Scottish Gaelic.

The Mack surname was particularly prevalent in the northern and western regions of Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands, where the Clan MacKay was based. The Clan MacKay was a powerful highland clan that traced its ancestry back to the 13th century.

One of the earliest documented references to the Mack surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the 14th century, which recorded payments made to individuals with the surname Mack or MacAoidh.

Notable historical figures with the surname Mack include:

1. Donald Mack (c. 1390-1450), a Scottish nobleman and chief of the Clan MacKay.
2. John Mack (1668-1714), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and author of several theological works.
3. William Mack (1787-1857), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.
4. Gwendolyn Mack (1878-1962), an American artist and sculptor known for her portraiture and monument works.
5. Connie Mack (1862-1956), an American baseball player and manager whose real name was Cornelius McGillicuddy, but who became known by his nickname Mack.

The Mack surname has a rich history rooted in medieval Scotland, with connections to prominent clans and individuals throughout the centuries. Its origins can be traced back to the personal name Aodh, reflecting the strong Celtic and Gaelic influences on Scottish naming traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mack

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

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

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

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