# Macaulay (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/macaulay/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Scottish Gaelic of Gaelic origin.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 2,560 |
| US rank (2010) | 12,174 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 120,604 people |
| Change since 2000 | +15% (2,219 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /məˈkɔːli/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Scotland, an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh ("son of Amhalghaidh"). From Ireland, an anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh ("son of Amhlaoibh") or Mac Amhlaidh ("son of Amhlaidh"). These Gaelic names are derived from the Old Norse personal name Áleifr and Óláfr.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Macaulay in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 89% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 6.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 0.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Macaulay in the United States.

## People named Macaulay

- David Macaulay, British-born American illustrator and writer
- Victoria Macaulay, American Nigerian basketball player
- Marc Macaulay, American actor

## Similar surnames

McAuley, Mackley, MacAuley, Mackall, Maxwell, Mosley, McCall, Michael, McGill, Michel, McCauley, Moseley.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.