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

McDougald, 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 McDougald surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McDougald in America

McDougald is the 10320th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McDougald surname appeared 3,122 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 McDougald.

We can also compare 2010 data for McDougald 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 McDougald

The surname MCDOUGALD is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name MacDhughail, which means "son of Dougal". Dougal itself is a Scottish form of the name Dugald, which comes from the Gaelic name Dualghall, meaning "dark stranger".

The earliest recorded instance of the name MCDOUGALD can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage letters written to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "MacDugal" in these rolls, which were signed by Scottish nobles and landowners after the king's conquest of Scotland.

In the 15th century, the name MCDOUGALD was associated with the Clan MacDougall, a powerful Scottish clan based in Argyll and Lorne. The clan's ancestral seat was Dunollie Castle, located near Oban in the Scottish Highlands.

One notable bearer of the name MCDOUGALD was Dougal MacDougall, the 12th Chief of the Clan MacDougall, who lived in the late 16th century. He played a prominent role in the clan's conflicts with the neighboring Campbell clan.

Another historical figure with the name MCDOUGALD was Dougal McDougall, a Scottish explorer and trader who was born around 1715. He was one of the first Europeans to explore the interior of British Columbia and the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

In the 19th century, the name MCDOUGALD was also found in the United States, where it was sometimes spelled as "McDOUGALD". One notable American with this surname was John Breckinridge McDougald (1829-1865), a Confederate officer who served in the American Civil War.

Other notable bearers of the MCDOUGALD name include the Scottish author and journalist Duncan McDougald (1855-1914), the Canadian politician and businessman Alexander McDougald (1855-1934), and the American artist and sculptor Asa McDougald (1885-1953).

The MCDOUGALD surname has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in Scottish heritage and culture. While the spelling and pronunciation may have varied over time, the name's origins can be traced back to the Gaelic name Dualghall and the powerful Clan MacDougall of Argyll.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McDougald

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

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

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

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