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

McDougall, 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 McDougall surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McDougall in America

McDougall is the 5242nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McDougall surname appeared 6,655 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 McDougall.

We can also compare 2010 data for McDougall 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 McDougall

The surname McDougall has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, emerging in the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic 'mac Dhughail', meaning 'son of Dougal'. Dougal itself is a Scottish variant of the name Dugald, which stems from the Old Norse name Dufgall, composed of the elements 'dufr' meaning 'dove' and 'gall' meaning 'stranger'.

McDougall is among the many surnames that arose as a patronymic, identifying an individual as the son or descendant of a specific person. This naming convention became increasingly common in Scotland and throughout Europe during the Middle Ages as populations grew and identification beyond a single name became necessary.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the McDougall name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1438, where a John McDougall is mentioned. The name is also found in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland.

Notably, the McDougall family was prominent in the Scottish clan system, with the Clan MacDougall originating in Argyll and Lorn. The clan's ancestral lands included the islands of Lorn, Mull, and parts of Argyll. The clan chief's seat was Dunollie Castle, near Oban.

Among the notable individuals bearing the McDougall surname throughout history are John McDougall (1718-1786), a Scottish inventor and founder of the first successful mechanical spinning mill in Britain; James McDougall (1810-1865), a Scottish-American businessman and abolitionist; and Sir William McDougall (1822-1905), a Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the first Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories.

Other prominent figures include Gladys McDougall (1905-1976), an Australian social worker and activist for women's rights; and Ian McDougall (1938-2022), an Australian geologist and expert on the dating of volcanic rocks.

While the McDougall name is predominantly Scottish in origin, it has since spread worldwide, with notable bearers in various countries and regions. The name has also undergone various spelling variations over time, such as MacDougall, MacDougle, and McDougal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McDougall

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

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

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

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