UK boy's name
Mccauley
A masculine given name perhaps derived from Scottish Gaelic meaning "son of the bald one".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mccauley is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Mccauley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3412, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 54 births.
This profile covers 238 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 9% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 236 living people in the UK are called Mccauley. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mccauley ranked #3412 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 54 boys were registered as Mccauley.
- • About 236 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mccauley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3412
2018
Births in 2018
5
Latest year
Peak year
1996
54 births
Estimated living
236
2026
Meaning
What does Mccauley mean?
The given name Mccauley is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Mac Amhalghaidh, which means "son of Amhalghaidh". It is derived from the ancient Irish personal name Amhalghaidh, which is composed of the elements "am" meaning "to cut" and "gaidh" meaning "wise or skilled". The name likely originated in the 8th or 9th century in Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention an "Amhalghaidh mac Fiachna" in the year 857 AD, who was a king of the Uí Fiachrach Aidne, a medieval Irish kingdom located in what is now County Galway.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Mccauley or its various spellings. In the 12th century, Amhalghaidh Mac Amhalghaidh was a renowned Irish poet and historian from County Sligo. In the 16th century, Amhalghaidh Ó Cuairsge was an Irish chieftain and leader of the Uí Cuairsge clan in County Mayo.
In more recent times, Catharine Macaulay (1731-1791) was an English historian and political writer who published an influential eight-volume work called "The History of England from the Accession of James I to that of the Brunswick Line". James Macauley (1789-1859) was an Irish politician and judge who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1841 to 1846.
Another notable figure was Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859), an English historian, essayist, and politician who is best known for his monumental work "The History of England from the Accession of James the Second". His critical and historical essays on literature, philosophy, and politics were highly acclaimed and influential.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the name Mccauley, which has its roots in ancient Irish Gaelic culture and language.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mccauley over time
The chart below shows babies named Mccauley registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mccauley, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2018, compared with 54 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mccauley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mccauley was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4018 | 38 | 9 |
| 2000s | #1982 | 88 | 10 |
| 1990s | #710 | 112 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Mccauley
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Mccauley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mccauley in the UK right now?
In 2018, Mccauley was ranked #3412 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Mccauley most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 54 babies registered as Mccauley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mccauley?
A masculine given name perhaps derived from Scottish Gaelic meaning "son of the bald one".
How many people are called Mccauley in the UK?
A total of 238 babies have been registered as Mccauley across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.