Fun Facts About the Name Macaulay
- 281 babies named Macaulay: U.S. records list 281 babies given the name Macaulay from 1880 through 2025. Even 15 girls received the name Macaulay - about 1 girl for every 18 boys.
What Does the Name Macaulay Mean?
Macaulay is a Scottish surname used as a given name. It comes from Scottish Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh, a patronymic meaning 'son of Amhlaoibh.' The personal name Amhlaoibh is the Gaelic form of Old Norse Óláfr, which is anglicized as Olaf. That Norse name is usually explained as 'ancestor's descendant' or 'ancestor's heir'; its second element is sometimes translated 'relic' or 'legacy.'
Macaulay Name History & Origins
The personal name Amhlaoibh entered Gaelic-speaking Scotland and Ireland through contact with Norse and Norse-Gaelic people during the Viking Age. The surname Mac Amhlaoibh developed from this name in Gaelic Scotland and became hereditary. When it was written in English and Scots records, it was anglicized in several ways, including Macaulay and MacAulay. The surname is especially associated with the western Highlands and the Hebrides, where Gaelic and Norse traditions met, and it is also found in Ireland.
Macaulay is now used as a given name in the English-speaking world as a transferred surname. A notable historical bearer of the surname was Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800 - 1859), the British historian, essayist, and politician; the actor Macaulay Culkin is a modern bearer of the name as a first name.
How Popular is the Name Macaulay?
Macaulay has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1992. Its best rank was #2,153 in 1992.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | #14,789 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #8,347 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,521 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2024 | #7,517 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #6,382 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #5,773 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #9,361 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #9,222 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #8,619 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #11,615 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #13,285 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #13,313 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #13,504 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #11,906 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #10,602 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #10,467 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #12,493 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #7,606 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #10,649 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,579 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #4,996 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #2,909 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #2,992 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1992 | #2,153 | 36 | 0.0018% |
| 1991 | #3,756 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1990 | #8,973 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Macaulay
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with M
How the Name Macaulay Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Macaulay's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Macaulay's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.