| McAulay | |
| Gender: | Unisex |
| Language: | English |
| Language origin: | Irish (Ir), Scottish Gaelic (SG) |
| Origin: | 1. MacAmhalghaidh (SG), Mac Amhalghaidh (Ir) 2. MacAmhlaibh (SG), MacAmhlaidh (SG), Mac Amhlaoibh (Ir) |
| Variant: | MacAuley, Macauley |
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.
In some cases, the surnames are derived from the Scottish Gaelic MacAmhalghaidh, and Irish Mac Amhalghaidh.[1] These Gaelic surnames translates into English as "son of Amhalghaidh"[2] or "son of Amhalghadh".[3] 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, and its etymological origin and meaning are uncertain.[3]
In other cases, the surnames are derived from the Scottish Gaelic MacAmhlaibh or MacAmhlaidh,[1] or the Irish Mac Amhlaoibh.[4] These surnames translate into English as "son of Amhlaibh"; "son of Amhladh" or "son of Amhlaidh"; and "son of Amhlaoibh". The surnames originated as a patronyms, however they no longer refer to the actual name of the bearer's father. The names Amhlaibh, Amhladh, Amhlaidh, and Amhlaoibh are Gaelic derivatives of the Old Norse personal names Áleifr and Óláfr.[4]
In Ireland, the surnames are very common in the province of Ulster; they are also common in Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland.[5]
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. According to this sample of 6.3 million people (who had 88,799 unique last names), "MACAULEY" (including MacAuley and Macauley) ranked 20,117th most common last name, and was borne by 0.000 percent of the population sample. "MCAULEY" (McAuley) was much more common; it ranked 7,139th most common last name, and was borne by 0.002 percent of the population sample. Within the 2000 United States Census, "MACAULEY" was the 15,676th most common last name, with 1,711 occurrences. "MCAULEY" was the 7,765th most common last name, with 3,946 occurrences.[6] The table below shows data concerning racial-ethnic aspects of the surnames in the 2000 United States Census.
| Name | Percent White only | Percent Black only | Percent Asian and Pacific Islander only | Percent American Indian and Alaskan Native only | Percent Two or more races | Percent Hispanic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MACAULEY | |||||||
| MCAULEY |
McAuley, MacAuley, and Macauley were not amongst the 100 most common surnames recorded in birth, death, and marriage registers in Scotland, in 1995.[7] 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.[8] None of the surnames ranked amongst the most common surnames recorded in Scotland, in the United Kingdom Census 1901.[9]