NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcdougal

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacDhùghaill," meaning "son of Dougal," a personal name meaning "dark stranger."

In the 1881 census there were 1,399 people recorded with the Mcdougal surname, ranking it #2,960 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 407, ranked #11,735, down from #2,960 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Berwickshire Central, North Tyneside and IZ14.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcdougal is 1,610 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 70.9%.

1881 census count

1,399

Ranked #2,960

Modern count

407

2016, ranked #11,735

Peak year

1851

1,610 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcdougal had 1,399 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,960 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 407 in 2016, ranked #11,735.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,610 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcdougal surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcdougal surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcdougal surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcdougal over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,610 #1,786
1861 historical 1,417 #2,009
1881 historical 1,399 #2,960
1891 historical 1,108 #3,823
1901 historical 869 #5,268
1911 historical 211 #14,467
1997 modern 400 #11,013
1998 modern 410 #11,143
1999 modern 428 #10,898
2000 modern 406 #11,271
2001 modern 389 #11,439
2002 modern 398 #11,478
2003 modern 380 #11,689
2004 modern 380 #11,717
2005 modern 385 #11,512
2006 modern 375 #11,796
2007 modern 380 #11,820
2008 modern 389 #11,723
2009 modern 414 #11,407
2010 modern 429 #11,324
2011 modern 418 #11,440
2012 modern 400 #11,726
2013 modern 410 #11,693
2014 modern 411 #11,768
2015 modern 410 #11,686
2016 modern 407 #11,735

Geography

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Where Mcdougals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Fortingall and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Berwickshire Central, North Tyneside, IZ14, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Newcastle upon Tyne. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Fortingall Perth
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Berwickshire Central Scottish Borders
2 North Tyneside 019 North Tyneside
3 IZ14 East Lothian
4 Nuneaton and Bedworth 016 Nuneaton and Bedworth
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 003 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcdougal

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcdougal surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcdougal

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcdougal, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mcdougal surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcdougal household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcdougal is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcdougal is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcdougal falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcdougal is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcdougal, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcdougal

The surname McDougal is of Scottish origin and derives from the Gaelic 'MacDughail', meaning 'son of Dougal'. Dougal itself is an old personal name, a Scottish form of the name Dougal, meaning 'dark stranger' or 'dark foreigner'.

The McDougal name can be traced back to the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in areas such as Argyll and the Hebrides. Early records show variations in spelling, including McDougall, McDougill, and McDougald.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Dougal MacDougal, who was a supporter of Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. The McDougals were a prominent clan in the Western Isles, and the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 16th century, the McDougals were involved in conflicts with the Campbells, another powerful Scottish clan. In 1644, during the Civil War, Alasdair MacDougall was a colonel in the Royalist army and was killed at the Battle of Marston Moor.

Notable individuals with the surname McDougal include:

1. Alexander McDougall (1732-1786), a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. 2. Frances McDougall (1905-1958), an Australian feminist and social worker. 3. Walter A. McDougall (born 1946), an American historian and Pulitzer Prize winner. 4. Dennis McDougal (born 1945), an American author and journalist. 5. Myres McDougal (1906-1998), a legal scholar and professor at Yale Law School.

The McDougal name has also been associated with various place names, such as McDougall's Loch in Argyll, Scotland, and McDougall Hill in Alberta, Canada, reflecting the geographic spread of the name over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcdougal families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcdougal surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 19 Mcdougals recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.22x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 19 3.22x
Northumberland 12 16.22x
Durham 5 3.38x
Angus 3 6.51x
Cumberland 2 4.67x
Surrey 2 0.83x
Yorkshire 2 0.41x
Caernarfonshire 1 4.98x
Hampshire 1 0.98x
Lanarkshire 1 0.62x
Middlesex 1 0.20x
Perthshire 1 4.48x
Renfrewshire 1 2.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 7 Mcdougals recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.04x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 7 35.04x
Liverpool 5 13.95x
West Derby 5 28.97x
Cresswell 4 13333.33x
Mains 3 769.23x
Chirton 2 119.76x
Harrington 2 384.62x
Hartlepool 2 95.24x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 2 31.20x
Sutton Stoneferry 2 141.84x
Westgate 2 43.67x
Anderston 1 2500.00x
Auchtergaven 1 270.27x
Bishopwearmouth 1 7.87x
Byker 1 27.32x
Caterham 1 93.46x
Eglwys Rhos 1 400.00x
Everton 1 5.32x
Farnborough 1 93.46x
Hornsey 1 15.90x
Longbenton 1 31.95x
Preston In Tynemouth 1 344.83x
Renfrew 1 78.74x
Southwark St Saviour 1 39.06x
Tynemouth 1 25.25x
Witton 1 135.14x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mcdougal surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Ann 4
Mary 4
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Jane 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Isabella 1
Marian 1
Martha 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mcdougal surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mcdougal households.

FAQ

Mcdougal surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcdougal surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,399 people were recorded with the Mcdougal surname. That placed it at #2,960 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcdougal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 407 in 2016. That gives Mcdougal a modern rank of #11,735.

What does the Mcdougal surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacDhùghaill," meaning "son of Dougal," a personal name meaning "dark stranger."

What does the Mcdougal map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcdougal bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.