Mcdowall
Scottish surname transferred from a place name referring to a hill dweller or someone living by a wall.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 823 Americans carry the last name Mcdowall. That puts it at #32,676 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 416,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcdowall surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
823
1 in 416,469
Census rank
#32,676
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
703
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 703 bearers of the surname Mcdowall in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32676th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdowall, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcdowall
The surname McDowall originated in Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic "mac Düghaill," meaning "son of Dougall." Dougall is a Scottish variant of the name Douglas, which itself comes from the Gaelic "dubh-glas," meaning "dark stream."
McDowall is a sept of the Clan Douglas, one of the most powerful families in Scottish history. The name is found primarily in the counties of Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, and Wigtown in the southwestern region of Scotland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "MacDugaill" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.
In the 16th century, the McDowall family held lands in the parish of Kirkcudbright, where they were prominent landowners and supporters of the Scottish Reformation. One notable member of the family was Uchtred McDowall (1517-1582), a Protestant reformer and author of several religious works.
Another early bearer of the name was Sir John McDowall (1576-1647), a Scottish soldier and landowner who served as a Colonel in the army of King Charles I during the English Civil War. He was knighted for his loyalty to the Royalist cause.
In the 18th century, Ephraim McDowell (1771-1830) was a prominent American physician who performed the first successful ovarian surgery in 1809. He is considered a pioneer in the field of abdominal surgery.
James McDowall (1824-1885) was a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the exploration and mapping of Western Australia during the 19th century.
Another notable figure was Sir Roderick McDowall (1861-1949), a British civil servant who served as the Governor of British North Borneo (now part of Malaysia) from 1908 to 1915.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcdowall
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdowall, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcdowall bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Mcdowall surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.8%
- Black or African American16.8%
- Hispanic or Latino2.3%
- Two or more races1.3%
- Unknown or suppressed0.8%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Mcdowall surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #34,071 | #32,676 | 4.1% |
| Count | 630 | 703 | 11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.24 | 4.3% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Mcdowall bearers went from 630 to 703 (+11.6% change). The surname moved up 1,395 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,071 to #32,676.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcdowall
FAQ
Mcdowall surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Mcdowall?
The surname Mcdowall holds position #32,676 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 823 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Mcdowall surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdowall, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Hispanic (2.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.