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

McCalla, 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 McCalla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCalla in America

McCalla is the 9745th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCalla surname appeared 3,326 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 McCalla.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCalla 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 McCalla

The surname McCalla has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 15th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "mac" meaning "son of" and the personal name "Colla," which itself has roots in the Old Irish word "coll" meaning "hazel tree." The McCalla name is believed to have originated in the Highlands region of Scotland, particularly in the areas around Argyll and Bute.

In early historical records, the name appears with various spellings, such as McColl, McCall, and McCaull. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1488, which mentions a "John McCalla" as a witness in a land dispute.

The McCalla name is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname is Sir John McCalla (c. 1550-1624), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament during the reign of King James VI.

Another prominent figure was Reverend Daniel McCalla (1748-1809), an Irish-American Presbyterian minister who played a significant role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. He was born in County Antrim, Ireland, and later emigrated to America, where he served as a chaplain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, John McCalla (1793-1879) was a notable American lawyer and judge from Pennsylvania. He served as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas for Philadelphia County and was also a prominent abolitionist, actively campaigning against slavery.

The McCalla surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as McCalla's Hill in Argyll and Bute, which may have been named after an early bearer of the name who resided in or owned land in that area.

Another individual of note bearing the McCalla surname was William Bryson McCalla (1841-1911), a Canadian politician and businessman from Ontario. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in various business ventures, including mining and railway construction.

While the McCalla name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Scottish and Irish emigration. The surname continues to be prevalent in several countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCalla

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

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

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

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