2000
#127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176,094
First available Census row
Per 100,000 65.28
Common Last name
Mcdonald
Son of Donald, a Scottish and Irish patronymic surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Dòmhnall, meaning "world ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 198,040 Americans carry the last name Mcdonald. That puts it at #145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 57.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,731 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcdonald surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcdonald with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
198K
1 in 1,731
Census rank
#145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
57.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
173K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 172,700 bearers of the surname Mcdonald in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 57.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdonald, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcdonald
The surname McDonald originated in Scotland, deriving from the Gaelic 'Mac Dhomhnaill' meaning 'son of Donald'. It is a patronymic name, with 'mac' meaning 'son of'. The earliest recorded instance of the surname dates back to the 12th century in the Western Isles of Scotland.
The McDonald name has strong historical ties to the Scottish Highlands and the Clan Donald, one of the largest and most powerful Scottish clans. The clan's origins can be traced back to Somerled, a 12th-century Norse-Gael who became King of the Isles. Somerled's descendants adopted the surname McDonald, and the clan played a significant role in Scottish history, particularly during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the McDonald surname was Reginald McDonald, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The name also appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, indicating its prevalence among Scottish families at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the McDonald surname. Somhairle Mor MacDonald, born around 1520, was a Scottish clan chief and Lord of the Isles. He played a pivotal role in the struggle for power in the Western Isles during the 16th century.
Flora McDonald, born in 1722, is perhaps one of the most famous bearers of the surname. She aided Bonnie Prince Charlie's escape from Scotland after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, cementing her place in Scottish history.
John McDonald, born in 1765, was a Scottish explorer and fur trader who played a significant role in the exploration of the Canadian Northwest. He is credited with mapping much of the region and establishing trade routes.
Another notable figure was Sir John McDonald, born in 1815, who served as the first Prime Minister of Canada from 1867 to 1873 and again from 1878 to 1891. He played a crucial role in the formation of the Canadian Confederation.
In the United States, Colonel Angus McDonald, born in 1770, was a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War. He served under General George Washington and was instrumental in the Battle of King's Mountain, a pivotal victory for the American forces.
While the McDonald surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread across the globe, carried by Scottish emigrants and their descendants. It remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the Scottish Highlands and the enduring legacy of the Clan Donald.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcdonald
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdonald, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcdonald bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcdonald surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.5% · 126,905
- Black or African American17.1% · 29,600
- Two or more races4.2% · 7,193
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 6,540
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1,285
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1,177
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcdonald
Mcdonald appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180,497
+4,403 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 61.19
Rank movement Down 16 places
2020
#145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172,700
-7,797 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 57.78
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127 | 176,094 | 65.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143 | 180,497 | 61.19 | +4,403 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 16 places |
| 2020 | #145 | 172,700 | 57.78 | -7,797 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 2 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcdonald surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #143 | #145 | -1.4% |
| Count | 180,497 | 172,700 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 61.19 | 57.78 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcdonald bearers went from 180,497 to 172,700 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #143 to #145.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcdonald
FAQ
Mcdonald surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcdonald?
Name Census estimates that about 198,040 living Americans carry the surname Mcdonald. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,731 residents.
How common is Mcdonald?
Mcdonald ranks #145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 57.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 58 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 172,700 people with the surname Mcdonald. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (198,040), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 57.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 57.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 58 of them to have the surname Mcdonald.
Has Mcdonald become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcdonald went from 180,497 recorded bearers to 172,700. That is a decrease of 7,797 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #143 to #145.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcdonald?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdonald, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcdonald in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (126,905 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcdonald appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.5%), Black (17.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcdonald (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcdonald mean?
Son of Donald, a Scottish and Irish patronymic surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Dòmhnall, meaning "world ruler." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcdonald (57.78 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Mcdonald?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.