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

McDew, 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 McDew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McDew in America

McDew is the 109258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McDew surname appeared 162 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McDew.

We can also compare 2010 data for McDew 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 McDew

The surname McDew has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic name "MacDhùghaill," which means "son of the dughall," with "dughall" being a personal name derived from the word "dubh," meaning black or dark-complexioned.

The McDew name was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides Islands. Early records show variations in the spelling, including McDugall, McDougall, and McDougal.

One of the earliest documented references to the McDew name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1503, which mention a "Duncan McDugall" as a landowner in Argyll. Another notable early record is the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list several individuals with the name McDougall swearing allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 17th century, the McDew name gained prominence through notable figures like Sir John McDougall (1640-1700), a Scottish soldier and landowner who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Another notable bearer of the name was Reverend James McDougall (1720-1786), a Scottish minister and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.

As the McDew name spread throughout Scotland and beyond, it also became associated with various place names. For example, the village of McDougall's Hill in Argyll is believed to have been named after a prominent McDew family that resided in the area.

Other notable individuals with the McDew surname include:

1. Alexander McDougall (1732-1786), a Scottish-American soldier and politician who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

2. Francis Thomas McDew (1823-1908), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Richmond from 1868 to 1908.

3. Sir Duncan McDougall (1836-1920), a Scottish-Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1904 to 1909.

4. Robert McDougall (1858-1935), a Scottish artist and sculptor known for his works depicting scenes from Scottish history and folklore.

5. James Whiteside McDougall (1866-1938), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Vancouver from 1917 to 1919.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McDew

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

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

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

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