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

McDowell, 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 McDowell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McDowell in America

McDowell is the 103181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McDowell surname appeared 174 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 McDowell.

We can also compare 2010 data for McDowell 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 McDowell

The surname McDowell has its origins in Scotland, emerging during the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Dughall" or "Dugald," which is a personal name believed to mean "dark stranger" or "dark warrior." The name likely referred to an ancestor who had dark features or a swarthy complexion, distinguishing them from the fairer-skinned Scots.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Dougal M'Dougal" and "Dugallus M'Dugallus," indicating the patronymic nature of the surname.

In the 14th century, the McDowell clan was known to inhabit the regions of Galloway and Lorne in southwestern Scotland. They were a prominent clan with connections to the powerful Lords of the Isles, who ruled over parts of western Scotland and the Hebrides.

Notable figures bearing the McDowell surname include Sir Andrew McDowell (c. 1450-1511), a Scottish knight who fought in the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513. Another prominent individual was Ephraim McDowell (1771-1830), an American physician widely regarded as the founder of modern abdominal surgery.

The name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McDowell Burn in Ayrshire and McDowell's Mount in Dumfries and Galloway. These place names likely derived from the clan's presence and influence in these areas.

Other notable individuals with the McDowell surname include:

1. Irvin McDowell (1818-1885), an American military officer who commanded the Union Army during the First Battle of Bull Run in the American Civil War.

2. Sir Rider Haggard (1856-1925), the British author best known for his adventure novels, including "King Solomon's Mines" and "She," whose birth name was Henry Rider Haggard McDowell.

3. Sir Coll McDougall (c. 1475-1537), a Scottish chieftain and Lord of Lorne, who played a significant role in the feuds between the clans of the Scottish Highlands.

4. Alexander McDowell (1798-1868), an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Virginia and was a prominent figure in the Whig Party.

5. Cynthia McDowell (1932-2021), an American actress and singer best known for her roles in Broadway musicals and television shows like "The Rookies" and "McCloud."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McDowell

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

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

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

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