2000
#27,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 837
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Mccaul
Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic elements "mac" meaning son of and "Cathal" meaning a warrior.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,093 Americans carry the last name Mccaul. That puts it at #26,900 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 313,590 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccaul 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mccaul with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 313,590
Census rank
#26,900
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
953
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 953 bearers of the surname Mccaul in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26900th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccaul, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccaul
The surname McCaul is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Cathal" meaning "warrior" or "powerful". The name first appeared in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland during the 11th century.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name was in the ancient manuscript the Book of Deer, a 9th-century Latin manuscript from the monastery of Old Deer in Aberdeenshire, where it appeared as "Cathel" in the year 1107. The name evolved over time, taking on various spellings such as MacCaull, McCauill, and McCaul before settling on the modern spelling of McCaul.
In the 13th century, the name McCaul was associated with the island of Islay, where several prominent families bore the name. One notable example is Duncan McCaul, who was recorded as the Seneschal or Governor of Islay in 1292.
During the 16th century, the McCauls were among the clans who allied themselves with the powerful Clan Donald, and their names were recorded in various charters and legal documents of the time. A notable figure from this period was Angus McCaul, a renowned warrior who fought alongside the MacDonalds in the Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart in 1598.
In the 17th century, the McCauls were part of the Scottish diaspora, with many members of the clan emigrating to Ireland and the American colonies. One notable bearer of the name was Reverend Thomas McCaul (1807-1887), an Irish clergyman and scholar who served as the Principal of University College, Toronto, and made significant contributions to the study of Hebrew and biblical literature.
Other notable individuals with the surname McCaul include:
1. John McCaul (1819-1889), a Canadian architect and civil engineer who designed many notable buildings in Toronto, including the Provincial Lunatic Asylum and the University College building.
2. Margaret McCaul (1788-1856), an Irish novelist and playwright known for her works such as "Bertram: A Tragedy" and "The Fate of the Green Dragon".
3. Robert McCaul (1799-1863), a British lawyer and member of parliament who served as the Attorney General of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the 1840s.
4. Alexander McCaul (1799-1863), a Scottish-born Anglican clergyman and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Cambridge from 1838 until his death.
5. Ethel McCaul (1887-1967), a Canadian artist and illustrator best known for her illustrations in children's books and magazines during the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccaul
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccaul, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccaul 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 Mccaul surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 863
- Two or more races3.3% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 25
- Black or African American2.2% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccaul
Mccaul 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
#29,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 786
-51 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 2,702 places
2020
#26,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 953
+167 bearers (+21.2%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 2,978 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,176 | 837 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,878 | 786 | 0.27 | -51 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 2,702 places |
| 2020 | #26,900 | 953 | 0.32 | +167 bearers (+21.2%) | Up 2,978 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 Mccaul 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 | #29,878 | #26,900 | 10.0% |
| Count | 786 | 953 | 21.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.32 | 18.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccaul bearers went from 786 to 953 (+21.2% change). The surname moved up 2,978 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,878 to #26,900.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mccaul
FAQ
Mccaul surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccaul?
Name Census estimates that about 1,093 living Americans carry the surname Mccaul. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 313,590 residents.
How common is Mccaul?
Mccaul ranks #26,900 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 953 people with the surname Mccaul. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,093), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Mccaul.
Has Mccaul become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccaul went from 786 recorded bearers to 953. That is an increase of 167 (+21.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,878 to #26,900.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccaul?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccaul, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Mccaul in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (863 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccaul appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Mccaul (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 Mccaul mean?
Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic elements "mac" meaning son of and "Cathal" meaning a warrior. 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 Mccaul (0.32 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 Mccaul?
You can see how common the surname Mccaul is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.