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

McKale, 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 McKale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKale in America

McKale is the 76275th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKale surname appeared 252 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 McKale.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKale 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 McKale

The surname MCKALE originated in Scotland during the late medieval period. It is a variant spelling of the Scottish surname McCaill, which is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Cail. Mac Cail means "son of Cail," where Cail is a diminutive of the Gaelic personal name Calum, which is derived from the Latin name Columba, meaning "dove."

The earliest recorded instances of the name MCKALE can be traced back to the 16th century. In 1583, a John McKale was listed in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland. The surname also appears in the records of the Parish of Kilchrenan and Dalavich in Argyllshire, Scotland, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The MCKALE surname is closely associated with the Clan Campbell, one of the most powerful and influential clans in the Scottish Highlands. Several notable individuals with the MCKALE surname were members of the Clan Campbell or had ties to the clan's territories in Argyll and Perthshire.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the MCKALE surname was Duncan McKale, who lived in the late 16th century and was a landowner in the parish of Kilchrenan and Dalavich. Another notable figure was Archibald McKale, born in 1674 in Argyllshire, who served as a lieutenant in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment during the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, John McKale (1712-1789) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Inveraray, the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll and the Clan Campbell. His son, Duncan McKale (1752-1832), followed in his footsteps and became a successful businessman and landowner in the same region.

One of the most notable individuals with the MCKALE surname was Reverend Alexander McKale (1798-1872), a Scottish minister and author who served as the minister of the parish of Craignish in Argyllshire for over 40 years. He was known for his scholarly works on Scottish history and culture, including a book on the genealogy of the Clan Campbell.

While the MCKALE surname has its roots in Scotland, over time it has spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration to North America and other English-speaking countries. However, the name's origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Scottish Highlands and its association with the Clan Campbell.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKale

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

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

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

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