Show ContentsMacAulay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

MacAulay Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of MacAulay

What does the name MacAulay mean?

Many variations of the name MacAulay have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Amhalghaidh or Mac Amhlaoibh. The former name denotes a son of Auley, while the later denotes a son of Auliffe or a son of Humphrey. They claim descent through the Heremon line of Irish kings. (O'Hart)

Early Origins of the MacAulay family

The surname MacAulay was first found in county Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where at one time the area which is now Ballyloughnoe was once called "McGawley's Country." There is another sept named Mac Amhlaoibh in Gaelic which were a branch of the MacGuires and mainly found in County Fermanagh. This branch gave their name to Clanawley. 1

Early History of the MacAulay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacAulay research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1787 and 1841 are included under the topic Early MacAulay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacAulay Spelling Variations

A name was often recorded during the Middle Ages under several different spelling variations during the life of its bearer because literacy was rare there was no real push to clearly define any of the languages found in the British Isles at that time. Variations found of the name MacAulay include MacAulay, MacAwley, MacAuley, MacAullay, MacAulley, MacAwlay, MacCaulay, MacCawley, MacGawley, Magawley, Cauley, Caulay, McCamley and many more.

Early Notables of the MacAulay family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacAulay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

MacAulay Ranking

the United States, the name MacAulay is the 12,186th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

MacAulay migration to the United States +

Death and immigration greatly reduced Ireland's population in the 19th century. For the native Irish people poverty, hunger, and racial prejudice was common. Therefore, thousands left their homeland to seek opportunity in North America. Those who survived the journey and the quarantine camps to which they arrived, were instrumental towards building the strong developing nations of the United States and the future Canada. By far, the largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. These were employed as construction or factory workers. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name MacAulay:

MacAulay Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Kenneth MacAulay, who settled in Philadelphia in 1774
  • Kenneth MacAulay who landed in Philadelphia in 1774
MacAulay Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Commodore Macaulay, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 3
  • John Macaulay, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1871 3

MacAulay migration to Canada +

MacAulay Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. James Macaulay U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 4

Contemporary Notables of the name MacAulay (post 1700) +

  • Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859), English essayist, historian, and politician, 1st Baron of Rothley (1800-1859), Secretary at War (1839-1841), Paymaster-General (1846-1848); he introduced English as the language of instruction for higher education in India, known as Macaulayism
  • William E. Macaulay (1945-2019), American billionaire businessman, CEO and chairman of First Reserve Corporation
  • Helene Macaulay (b. 1961), American celebrity makeup artist
  • Marc Macaulay (b. 1957), American actor
  • David Macaulay (b. 1946), American author and illustrator
  • Alastair Macaulay, American dance critic for the New York Times
  • Robertson Macaulay (1833-1915), Scottish-born, Canadian insurance company executive
  • Thomas Bassett "T.B." Macaulay (1860-1942), Canadian actuary, philanthropist, founder of the Macaulay Institute, in 1930; most of the world's Holstein cattle descend from Macaulay's herd, son of Robertson Macaulay
  • Dame Emilie Rose Macaulay (b. 1881), English writer, best known for her award-winning novel The Towers of Trebizond
  • ... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
  1. MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X

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