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 702nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McDowell surname appeared 49,217 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 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 is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic phrase "mac Dughail," meaning "son of Dougal." Dougal is a diminutive form of the name Dugald, which itself is a Scottish variation of the Irish name Dúnchad. The prefix "mac" or "mc" is a common patronymic in Scottish and Irish surnames, indicating "son of."

The McDowell name can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Lochaber. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a mention of "Dugallus Laumansun" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 14th century, the McDowells were prominent landowners in the Lochaber region. A notable figure from this era was John McDowell, who was granted lands in Lochaber by King Robert II in 1389. The name also appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the 15th century, which recorded various transactions and payments made to individuals with the surname McDowell.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McDowell name in North America dates back to the late 17th century, when several members of the clan immigrated to the American colonies. Among them was Ephraim McDowell, a Scottish-Irish immigrant who settled in Virginia in the 1730s and later became a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname McDowell. One of the most famous is Ephraim McDowell (1771-1830), an American physician who performed the world's first successful abdominal surgery in 1809. Another prominent figure was Irvin McDowell (1818-1885), a Union general during the American Civil War who commanded forces at the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861.

Other notable McDowells include:

1. Brendan McDowell (born 1965), a Scottish actor known for his roles in films like "Braveheart" and "Trainspotting."

2. Robert McDowell (1768-1842), an Irish politician and judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland.

3. Sir James McDowell (1824-1898), a British military officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valor in the British and Commonwealth forces.

4. Mary Ann McDowell (1857-1936), an American educator and social worker who founded the first free kindergarten in the southern United States.

The surname McDowell continues to be widely used today, with significant populations bearing the name in Scotland, Ireland, England, and various parts of North America.

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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