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

McFalls, 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 McFalls surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McFalls in America

McFalls is the 12692nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McFalls surname appeared 2,433 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 McFalls.

We can also compare 2010 data for McFalls 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 McFalls

The surname MCFALLS is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "mac" meaning "son of" and "fall" or "fal" meaning "scattered" or "wandering." The name likely originated in the Scottish Highlands during the 12th or 13th century, referring to a family or individual who had dispersed or wandered from their original clan lands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland from 1454, which mentions a John McFall as a landowner in the county of Ayr. Another early reference is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1513, which lists a Duncan McFaill as a tenant farmer in the region of Argyll.

In the 16th century, the MCFALLS name appeared in the records of the Clan Gordon, one of the most powerful and influential clans in the Scottish Highlands. It is believed that some MCFALLS families may have been part of the Gordon clan or allied with them through marriage or military service.

Notable individuals with the MCFALLS surname include John McFalls (1642-1721), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who immigrated to Ulster, Ireland, and later became a prominent figure in the Irish Presbyterian Church. Another notable bearer of the name was William McFalls (1787-1864), a Scottish-born engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the Erie Canal in New York.

In the 19th century, a MCFALLS family from Dumfriesshire, Scotland, gained prominence in the field of agriculture and livestock breeding. Robert McFalls (1811-1885) was a renowned cattle breeder and exhibitor, winning numerous prizes at agricultural shows throughout Scotland and England.

The MCFALLS name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McFall's Hill in Renfrewshire and McFall's Loch in Argyllshire, further reinforcing the name's Scottish heritage and geographical roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McFalls

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

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

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

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