2000
#5,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,267
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.32
Rare Last name
Mchale
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cáil, meaning "son of Cáil" (a personal name of uncertain origin).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,963 Americans carry the last name Mchale. That puts it at #5,536 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,225 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mchale surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mchale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 49,225
Census rank
#5,536
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,072 bearers of the surname Mchale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5536th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mchale, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mchale
The surname McHale has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Mac Céile," which means "son of the servant." The name is derived from the Old Irish word "céile," meaning "companion" or "servant."
In ancient Irish tradition, the prefix "Mac" was used to denote the son of someone, while "Ó" was used to indicate the grandson or a descendant. The McHale surname was commonly found in County Sligo, County Mayo, and other parts of Connacht in the west of Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1272, a man named "Mac Céile" is mentioned as a witness to a land grant in County Sligo.
Another notable historical reference is the inclusion of the name in the Annals of the Four Masters, a 17th-century chronicle compiled by Franciscan monks. It mentions a family of McHales who were prominent landowners in County Sligo during the 14th and 15th centuries.
The earliest recorded spelling variations of the name include "MacCeile," "MacKyle," and "MacKaile," reflecting the different ways the name was transcribed by scribes and record-keepers of the time.
One of the most famous bearers of the McHale surname was Patrick McHale (1857-1926), an Irish politician and Member of Parliament for North Leitrim. He was a prominent figure in the Irish Parliamentary Party and played a significant role in the struggle for Irish Home Rule.
Another notable McHale was Michael McHale (1899-1982), an Irish-American writer and journalist who worked for several newspapers in New York City. He was known for his coverage of World War II and his novels set in Ireland.
In the 18th century, James McHale (1732-1809) was a prominent merchant and landowner in County Mayo. He was involved in the Irish linen trade and played an essential role in the economic development of the region.
John McHale (1767-1838) was an Irish Catholic prelate who served as the Archbishop of Tuam from 1830 until his death. He was a staunch advocate for Catholic rights and played a significant role in the campaign for Catholic Emancipation in Ireland.
Another notable figure was Mary McHale (1858-1940), an Irish nun and educator who founded the Sisters of the Holy Faith, a religious order dedicated to education and social work in Ireland and other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mchale
Among Census respondents with the surname Mchale, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mchale bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
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 Mchale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 5,621
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 212
- Two or more races2.7% · 163
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 40
- Black or African American0.4% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mchale
Mchale appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,391
+124 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Down 305 places
2020
#5,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,072
-319 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.03
Rank movement Down 92 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,139 | 6,267 | 2.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,444 | 6,391 | 2.17 | +124 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 305 places |
| 2020 | #5,536 | 6,072 | 2.03 | -319 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 92 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mchale surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,444 | #5,536 | -1.7% |
| Count | 6,391 | 6,072 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.17 | 2.03 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mchale bearers went from 6,391 to 6,072 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 92 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,444 to #5,536.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mchale
FAQ
Mchale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mchale?
Name Census estimates that about 6,963 living Americans carry the surname Mchale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,225 residents.
How common is Mchale?
Mchale ranks #5,536 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,072 people with the surname Mchale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,963), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mchale.
Has Mchale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mchale went from 6,391 recorded bearers to 6,072. That is a decrease of 319 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,444 to #5,536.
What does the Census say about the background of Mchale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mchale, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mchale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (5,621 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mchale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mchale (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mchale mean?
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cáil, meaning "son of Cáil" (a personal name of uncertain origin). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mchale (2.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Mchale?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.