Explore the Family Name Macaulay
The meaning of Macaulay
Scottish (mainly Ross and Cromarty and Inverness): 1. from Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh ‘son of Amhalghadh’, an Old Gaelic personal name of unexplained etymology. Compare the Irish form McAuley, also Manx Kewley, Cowley, and Callow. 2. from Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh ‘son of Amhlao(i)bh’, Gaelic form of the Old Norse personal name Óláfr (see Olafsen). Compare McAuliffe.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Macaulay in the United States?
The surname Macaulay has seen an increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was ranked 12,764 in popularity, with 2,219 individuals carrying the name. By 2010, the rank had risen to 12,174, reflecting a 4.62% rise. The count of those with the surname surged by approximately 15.37% from 2,219 to 2,560. Additionally, the proportion of individuals named Macaulay per 100,000 people increased by 6.1%, moving from 0.82 to 0.87.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,764 | #12,174 | 4.62% |
| Count | 2,219 | 2,560 | 15.37% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.82 | 0.87 | 6.1% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Macaulay
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Macaulay surname has seen quite a few shifts between 2000 and 2010, as reflected in the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname were white, accounting for 93.11% of the total. However, this number declined slightly by 4.35% to 89.06% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Black grew substantially by 85.80%, moving from 3.24% to 6.02%. The Hispanic demographic also saw significant growth, increasing by 125% from 1.04% to 2.34%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also experienced growth, while the proportion identifying with two or more races decreased by 43.04%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.11% | 89.06% | -4.35% |
| Black | 3.24% | 6.02% | 85.8% |
| Hispanic | 1.04% | 2.34% | 125% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.77% | 1.21% | 57.14% |
| Two or More Races | 1.58% | 0.9% | -43.04% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.27% | 0.47% | 74.07% |
Macaulay ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Macaulay is British & Irish, which comprises 68.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (12.0%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Greek & Balkan.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 68.6% |
| French & German | 12.0% |
| Scandinavian | 4.3% |
| Other | 15.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Macaulay
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Macaulay have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 93.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 93.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 93.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 93.20% |
| Edinburgh, United Kingdom | 92.20% |
What Macaulay haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Macaulay is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-A151 and R-M222, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hardcastle, Mellon, Maxwell, Whelan, Mcnulty, Finnerty, Meehan, Phelan, Braswell, Mullin.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Macaulay surname are: H1, H, U5a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Macaulay have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Macaulay" Surname 48.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Macaulay" Surname 28.6%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Macaulay" Surname 20.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Macaulay" Surname 17.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Macaulay?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Macaulay are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition