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

McCaskill, 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 McCaskill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCaskill in America

McCaskill is the 5892nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCaskill surname appeared 5,857 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McCaskill.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCaskill 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 McCaskill

The surname McCaskill has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "cas" meaning "twisted" or "curled," referring to someone with curly hair or a distinguishing physical feature.

The earliest recorded mention of the name dates back to the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "MacCaskill" in these records.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the McCaskills were a prominent clan in the Outer Hebrides islands of Scotland, particularly on the Isle of Lewis. They were known for their seafaring traditions and played a role in the historic battle of Gress in 1598, where they fought alongside the Morrisons against the MacKenzies.

In the 17th century, the McCaskills began to migrate to other parts of Scotland and Ireland, and the name took on various spellings, such as "McCaskill," "MacCaskill," and "MacAskill." One notable bearer of the name was Donald McCaskill (1700-1780), a Scottish poet and songwriter from the Isle of Lewis.

As the McCaskills spread throughout the British Isles, some members of the clan made their way to the Americas. John McCaskill (1761-1833) was a Scottish-born American soldier who served in the Revolutionary War and later settled in Tennessee.

Another prominent figure was Wilbur John McCaskill (1857-1939), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for several terms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the United States, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname is Claire McCaskill (born 1953), a former United States Senator from Missouri who served from 2007 to 2019.

Other notable McCaskills include Rayburn McCaskill (1920-2003), an American football player and coach, and Carolyn McCaskill (1924-2018), an American poet and writer known for her works exploring African-American culture and history.

While the name has evolved over time, its Scottish roots and connection to the Outer Hebrides islands remain an integral part of the McCaskill surname's rich history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCaskill

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

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

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

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