Macaulay (surname)

Last updated
Macaulay
Pronunciation /məˈkɔːli/ mə-KAWL-ee
GenderUnisex
Language(s) English
Origin
Language(s) Irish (Ir), Scottish Gaelic (SG)
Word/name1. MacAmhalghaidh (SG), Mac Amhalghaidh (Ir)
2. MacAmhlaibh (SG), MacAmhlaidh (SG), Mac Amhlaoibh (Ir)
Other names
Variant form(s)Macauley, MacAulay, McAulay, McAuley, MacCamley, McCamley

Macaulay, Macauley, MacAulay, McAulay and McAuley are surnames of Irish origin originating in Westmeath, Leinster anglicized from Irish Mac Amhalghaidh in the English language. [1] The surname is also found in Scotland of distinct, but related origins due to Irish settling in Scotland. Some of the Irish Macaulay's settled in Scotland during the reign of Robert the Bruce. [2] There are several etymological origins for the names: all of which originated as patronyms in several Gaelic languages—Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Although the English-language surnames are ultimately derived from Gaelic patronyms, the English-language surnames, and the modern Gaelic-language forms do not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father.

Contents

Etymology

In some cases, the surnames are derived from the Scottish Gaelic MacAmhlaidh , or the Irish Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh . [3] [4] These Gaelic surnames translate into English as "son of Amhalghaidh " [5] or "son of Amhalghadh ". [6] The Gaelic surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refer to the actual names of the bearer's father's. The personal name Amhalghaidh (also spelt Amhalghadh) is an old Gaelic name whose origin and meaning are uncertain. [6]

In other cases, the surnames are derived from the Scottish Gaelic MacAmhlaibh or MacAmhlaidh , [4] or the Irish Mac Amhlaoibh. [3] These surnames translate into English as "son of Amhlaibh "; "son of Amhladh " or "son of Amhlaidh "; and "son of Amhlaoibh ". The names Amhlaibh, Amhladh, Amhlaidh, and Amhlaoibh are Gaelic derivatives of the Old Norse personal names Áleifr and Olaf or Óláfr . [3]

Distribution

United States

In 1990, the United States Census Bureau undertook a study of the 1990 United States Census, and released a sample of data concerning the most common names. [7] According to this sample of 6.3 million people (who had 88,799 unique last names), [8] "MACAULAY" (including Macaulay and MacAulay) ranked 12,186th most common last name, and was borne by 0.001 percent of the population sample. "MCAULAY" (McAulay) was much less common; it ranked 35,241st most common last name, and was borne by 0.000 percent of the population sample. [9] Within the 2000 United States Census, "MACAULAY" was the 12,764th most common last name, with 2,219 occurrences. "MCAULAY" was the 33,528th most common last name, with only 642 occurrences. [10] The table below shows data concerning racial-ethnic aspects of the surnames in the 2000 United States Census (note that two fields have been suppressed by the United States Census Bureau for confidentiality reasons, since "MCAULAY" had fewer than 1,000 people). [11]

Scotland

Macaulay, MacAulay, and McAulay were not amongst the 100 most common surnames recorded in birth, death, and marriage registers in Scotland, in 1995. [12] None of the surnames ranked amongst the 100 most common surnames recorded in birth, death, and marriage registrations in the combined years of 1999, 2000, and 2001. [13] None of the surnames ranked amongst the most common surnames recorded in Scotland, in the United Kingdom Census 1901. [14]

People with the surnames

Related Research Articles

A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as sliocht, meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person. The word may derive from the Latin saeptum, meaning "enclosure" or "fold", or via an alteration of "sect".

Olaf or Olav is a Dutch, Polish, Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as *Anu-laibaz, from anu "ancestor, grand-father" and laibaz "heirloom, descendant". Old English forms are attested as Ǣlāf, Anlāf. The corresponding Old Novgorod dialect form is Uleb. A later English form of the name is Olave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish people</span> Ethnic group native to the island of Ireland

Irish people are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common ancestry, history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been continually inhabited for more than 10,000 years. For most of Ireland's recorded history, the Irish have been primarily a Gaelic people. From the 9th century, small numbers of Vikings settled in Ireland, becoming the Norse-Gaels. Anglo-Normans also conquered parts of Ireland in the 12th century, while England's 16th/17th century conquest and colonisation of Ireland brought many English and Lowland Scots to parts of the island, especially the north. Today, Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The people of Northern Ireland hold various national identities including British, Irish, Northern Irish or some combination thereof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uig, Lewis</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Uig, also known as Sgìr' Ùig, is a civil parish and community in the west of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The Parish of Uig is one of the four civil parishes of the Isle of Lewis. It contains the districts of Carloway, East Uig, Bernera and West Uig. The name derives from the Norse word Vik meaning 'a bay'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McCabe (surname)</span> Surname list

The surnames McCabe and MacCabe are Irish and Scottish surnames. McCabes are considered to have moved from the Western Isles of Scotland to Ireland sometime around 1350. McCabes are now found mostly in the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan MacAulay</span> Scottish clan historically seated at Ardincaple Castle, in Scotland

Clan MacAulay, also spelt Macaulay or Macauley is a Scottish clan. The clan was historically centred on the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of Rhu and burgh of Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute. The MacAulays of Ardincaple were located mainly in the traditional county of Dunbartonshire, which straddles the "Highland Line" between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands. Clan MacAulay has been considered a "Highland clan" by writers and has been linked by various historians to the original Earls of Lennox and in later times to Clan Gregor. The MacAulays of Ardincaple, like Clan Gregor and several other clans, have traditionally been considered one of the seven clans which make up Siol Alpin. This group of clans were said to have claimed descent from Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts, from whom later kings of Scotland traced their descent. The chiefs of Clan MacAulay were styled Laird of Ardincaple.

McCawley and MacCawley are surnames in the English language. The names are Anglicisations of several Gaelic-language surnames. There are several etymological origins for the names: all of which originated as patronyms in several Gaelic languages—Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Although the English-language surnames are ultimately derived from Gaelic patronyms, the English-language surnames, and the modern Gaelic-language forms do not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father or grandfather. The surnames are not very common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macaulay family of Lewis</span> Notable Scottish clan

The Macaulay family of Uig in Lewis, known in Scottish Gaelic as Clann mhic Amhlaigh, were a small family located around Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. There is no connection between the Macaulays of Lewis and Clan MacAulay which was centred in the Loch Lomond area, bordering the Scottish Highlands and Scottish Lowlands. The Macaulays of Lewis are generally said to be of Norse origin because of the etymology of their surname and also because of the islands' Viking Age past. However, a recent analysis of the Y-DNA of men with Scottish surnames has shown that a large number of Hebridean Macaulays are of Irish origin. In the 17th century, however, tradition gave the Macaulays an Irish origin. By the end of the 16th century the dominant clan on Lewis was Clan Macleod of The Lewes. Other notable Lewis clans were the somewhat smaller Morrisons of Ness and the even less numerous Macaulays of Uig. The Macaulays were centred in the area surrounding Uig on the western coast of Lewis, and had a deadly, long-standing feud with the Morrisons, whose lands were located on the northern coast around Ness. Today the Lewis surname Macaulay is considered to be a sept name of the Macleods of Lewis. There are two other nearby clans of Macaulays who may, or may not, be connected to the Lewis clan—the Wester Ross Macaulays, and the Uist MacAulays.

McAuliffe or MacAuliffe is a surname of Norse Irish origin. The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh, meaning "son of Amhlaoibh". The Gaelic name, Amhlaoibh, was derived from the Old Norse personal name Olaf. The surname occurs frequently in Munster, especially northern County Cork, western County Limerick, and eastern County Kerry. The McAuliffes were a sept, related to the McCarthys.

Cawley is a surname in the English language. There are several different origins of the surname. In some cases the surnames are derived from any of numerous place names in England. In other cases the surnames are derived from any of several Gaelic language surnames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh (Irish septs)</span>

Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh are two different Gaelic patronymic names with different origins and meanings, but which share the same or similar Anglicisations. These Gaelic names are borne by at least three unrelated native Irish clans or septs.

Aulay is a Scottish masculine given name. It is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic Amhladh, Amhlaidh, Amhlaigh, and Amhlaibh. The standard Irish Gaelic form of these names is Amhlaoibh ; which can be Anglicised as Auliffe and Humphrey.

McQueen, Mcqueen, and MacQueen, Macqueen are English-language surnames derived from Scottish Gaelic. There have been several differing etymologies given for the surnames; as well as several differing ways to represent the surname in modern Scottish Gaelic. The surnames are not among the most common surnames in the United Kingdom, Australia, nor the United States.

Scottish surnames are surnames currently found in Scotland, or surnames that have a historical connection with the country.

Gawley is a surname in the English language with several origins: one from a Gaelic name, the other from a German name.

Mac Amhalghaidh is an Irish masculine surname. The name translates into English as "son of Amhalghadh". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's father. The form of the surname for unmarried females is Nic Amhalghaidh. The forms for married females are Bean Mhic Amhalghaidh and Mhic Amhalghaidh. The Irish Mac Amhalghaidh has numerous Anglicised forms. The surname has been borne by at least one notable Irish family.

McCauley and MacCauley are surnames in the English language. There are several etymologically unrelated origins for the names: all of which originated as patronyms in several Gaelic languages—Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Although the English-language surnames are ultimately derived from Gaelic patronyms, the English-language surnames, and the modern Gaelic-language forms do not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The Irish McCauley's originated in county Westmeath in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where at one time the area which is now Ballyloughnoe was once called "McGawley's Country, the scottish McCauleys are partly descended from the Irish McCauleys as the Irish moved to Scotland offered land by Robert the bruce" The English-language surnames are generally popular in certain parts of Ireland—both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. According to census records in the United States of America, "MCCAULEY" (McCauley) is a somewhat common surname, although "MACCAULEY" (MacCauley) is extremely rare.

MacAlley and McAlley are unisex surnames in the English language. There are several origins for the names.

Macaulay, McAuley, MacAuley, and Macauley are Scottish and Irish surnames. There are several etymological origins for the names: all of which originated as patronyms in Gaelic languages—Irish and Scottish Gaelic. Although these English-language (Anglicized) forms of the surnames are ultimately derived from Gaelic patronyms, they do not refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The surname is quite common in Ireland, particularly in Ulster.

References

  1. ↑ "MacAulay Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms". January 2000.
  2. ↑ "MacAulay Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms". January 2000.
  3. 1 2 3 Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com , retrieved 17 December 2010, which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN   0-19-508137-4 , for the surnames "MacAulay", "McAulay", "McCauley".
  4. 1 2 Reaney, Percy Hilde; Wilson, Richard Middlewood (2006), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), London: Routledge, p. 2034, ISBN   0-203-99355-1
  5. ↑ Mac Amhalghadha, Mac Amhalghaidh, Library Ireland (www.libraryireland.com), retrieved 19 December 2010, which is a transcription of: Woulfe, Patrick (1923), Irish Names and Surnames
  6. 1 2 Learn about the family history of your surname, Ancestry.com , retrieved 20 December 2010, which cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN   0-19-508137-4 , for the surname "McCauley".
  7. ↑ Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 1990 – Names Files, United States Census Bureau (www.census.gov), archived from the original on 31 December 2009, retrieved 7 January 2011
  8. ↑ Documentation and Methodology for Frequently Occurring Names in the U.S., United States Census Bureau (www.census.gov), archived from the original (txt) on 31 December 2009, retrieved 7 January 2011
  9. ↑ dist.all.last, United States Census Bureau (www.census.gov), archived from the original (txt) on 7 July 2011, retrieved 7 January 2011
  10. ↑ Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 2000, United States Census Bureau (www.census.gov), archived from the original on 21 December 2009, retrieved 7 January 2011
  11. ↑ Word, David L.; Coleman, Charles D.; Nunziata, Robert; Kominski, Robert, Demographic Aspects of Surnames from Census 2000 (PDF), United States Census Bureau (www.census.gov), p. 17, retrieved 7 January 2011
  12. ↑ 100 Most Common Surnames, General Register Office for Scotland (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk), archived from the original on 25 September 2012, retrieved 10 January 2011
  13. ↑ Bowie, Neil; Jackson, G.W.L. (2003), Surnames in Scotland over the last 140 years, General Register Office for Scotland (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk), archived from the original on December 25, 2010, retrieved 10 January 2011, and see also: Table A1: Top 100 Surnames in Scotland: 1999/2000/2001 (PDF), General Register Office for Scotland (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk), archived from the original (PDF) on 1 January 2011, retrieved 10 January 2011
  14. ↑ Bowie, Neil; Jackson, G.W.L. (2003), Surnames in Scotland over the last 140 years, General Register Office for Scotland (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk), retrieved 10 January 2011, and see also: Table A5: Rank of the Top 300 Surnames in Alphabetical Order, 1901 Census (PDF), General Register Office for Scotland (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk), archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011, retrieved 10 January 2011
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