2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Macmath
A Scottish surname derived from Gaelic "mac a'mhathaidh" meaning "son of the bear".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Macmath. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macmath 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Macmath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macmath, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macmath
The surname MACMATH is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning son and "math" meaning good or fortunate, suggesting that the name was initially given as a descriptive term for a fortunate or blessed son.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MACMATH surname can be found in the ancient Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from the late 13th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname MACMATH, indicating that the name was already well-established in Scotland by that time.
During the 16th century, the MACMATH clan was concentrated primarily in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Moray in northeastern Scotland. Historical records from this period often refer to the name in its earlier spelling variations, such as "MacMath" or "MacMaith."
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the MACMATH surname was John MACMATH (1589-1647), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the principal of the University of Glasgow. His writings and sermons were widely influential during the Protestant Reformation in Scotland.
Another prominent individual with the MACMATH surname was Sir James MACMATH (1718-1792), a Scottish landowner and member of parliament. He was instrumental in the development of agriculture and infrastructure in his native Aberdeenshire.
In the 19th century, the MACMATH family expanded their influence beyond Scotland. William MACMATH (1828-1906), a successful businessman and philanthropist, emigrated from Scotland to Australia, where he established a thriving import-export company and contributed significantly to the development of Melbourne.
The MACMATH surname has also been associated with notable academics and scholars. One such figure was Alexander MACMATH (1871-1942), a Scottish physicist and professor at the University of Edinburgh, who made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism.
While the MACMATH name has Scottish roots, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through the Scottish diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the highlands of Scotland, where it was once a proud clan name carrying connotations of good fortune and blessings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macmath
Among Census respondents with the surname Macmath, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Macmath 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 Macmath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macmath
Macmath 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-8 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,228 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 18,228 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,289 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 Macmath 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 | #156,044 | #154,755 | 0.8% |
| Count | 104 | 102 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macmath bearers went from 104 to 102 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #154,755.
FAQ
Macmath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macmath?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Macmath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Macmath?
Macmath ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Macmath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Macmath.
Has Macmath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macmath went from 104 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Macmath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macmath, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Macmath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macmath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Macmath (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 Macmath mean?
A Scottish surname derived from Gaelic "mac a'mhathaidh" meaning "son of the bear". 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 Macmath (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 have the last name Macmath?
See how many people are called Macmath on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.