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

McCauley, 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 McCauley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCauley in America

McCauley is the 1442nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCauley surname appeared 24,743 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname McCauley.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCauley 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 McCauley

The surname McCauley is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Mac Amhalghaidh, meaning "son of Amhalgaidh". The name Amhalgaidh is thought to be a compound of the Old Irish elements "amhal" meaning "bright" and "gaidh" meaning "dangerous".

The McCauley name can be traced back to the ancient Irish kingdom of Ui Fiachrach Aidne, located in what is now County Galway, Ireland. The name is first recorded in the Irish Annals in the 12th century, with references to various chieftains and noblemen bearing the name.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the McCauley surname is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, an extensive chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a McCauley chieftain named Conchobhar Mac Amhalghaidh, who was killed in battle in 1184.

In the 16th century, the McCauleys were among the leading families of the Gaelic nobility in County Galway. They were prominent in the Irish confederacy that sought to resist the English conquest of Ireland during the Nine Years' War (1594-1603). A notable figure from this period was Cormac McCauley, a gallowglass (elite mercenary) who fought alongside the Irish chieftain Hugh O'Donnell.

Another significant figure in McCauley history was Donough McCauley, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a landowner and leader of the McCauley clan in County Galway. In 1607, he was among the Irish leaders who attended the Flight of the Earls, a pivotal event in which several Gaelic lords fled Ireland in the face of increasing English control.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many McCauleys were forced to surrender their lands as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent Penal Laws against Catholics. Some McCauleys emigrated to continental Europe, while others joined the Irish diaspora in countries like France, Spain, and Austria, where they served in the Irish Brigades of various European armies.

One celebrated McCauley was Edward Francis McCauley (1783-1864), an Irish-born sculptor who worked in London and Rome. He was renowned for his neoclassical sculptures and busts, including works depicting British nobility and prominent figures like Lord Byron.

As the McCauley surname spread beyond Ireland, it acquired various spellings such as McCawley, Macaulay, and Macauley. However, the original Irish form of McCauley remains prominent and is still widely used today, both in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCauley

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

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

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

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