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

McIntosh, 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 McIntosh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McIntosh in America

McIntosh is the 819th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McIntosh surname appeared 42,379 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname McIntosh.

We can also compare 2010 data for McIntosh 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 McIntosh

The surname McIntosh originates from Scotland and is of Scottish Gaelic origin. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac an toisich," which translate to "son of the chief" or "son of the leader." The name can be traced back to the 12th century and is associated with the Clan Mackintosh, a prominent Highland Scottish clan.

The Clan Mackintosh was historically centered in the region of Badenoch and Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands. The chief of the clan was known as the "Toisich," which means "leader" or "chief" in Gaelic. The name is believed to have originated from a specific individual who held this position within the clan.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the "Chartulary of Moray," a collection of historical documents dating back to the 13th century. The name appears as "MacIntosich" in these records.

In the 14th century, the Mackintosh clan played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, fighting alongside Robert the Bruce against the English. During this time, the chief of the clan was Angus Mackintosh, who was renowned for his bravery and leadership.

Another notable figure with the surname McIntosh was Sir John Mackintosh, who lived in the 16th century. He was a prominent Scottish politician and served as the Lord Privy Seal of Scotland during the reign of King James VI.

In the 17th century, William Mackintosh was a Scottish writer and historian who published works on the history of the Mackintosh clan and the Scottish Highlands.

During the Jacobite Risings of the 18th century, the Mackintosh clan initially supported the House of Stuart but later switched allegiance to the Hanoverian monarchy. Lachlan Mackintosh, the chief of the clan at the time, played a crucial role in this decision.

In the 19th century, Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928) was a renowned Scottish architect, designer, and watercolorist. He was a prominent figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and is considered one of the most influential architects and designers of his time.

Throughout its history, the surname McIntosh has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Mackintosh Island and Mackintosh Muir, reflecting the clan's territorial holdings and influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McIntosh

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

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

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

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