Rising since 2019, #10,695 for boys today.
Popularity of Macauley since 1991
Babies named Macauley per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30 | 117 |
| 2000s | 0 | 78 |
| 2010s | 0 | 32 |
| 2020s | 0 | 33 |
Meaning & origin
Macauley, a variant of the more familiar Macaulay, is a surname-turned-first-name with Irish and Scottish roots. As a given name, it emerged into public consciousness around 1991, coinciding with the debut of actor Macaulay Culkin, and peaked at rank 10,695 in 1993. After a period of decline, the name has been gradually rising in use since 2019, suggesting a modest resurgence. Despite its cultural association, Macauley remains rare: in 2025, it was given to roughly 1 in 284,679 newborns. The spelling Macauley, while less common than Macaulay, offers a distinctive alternative that still honors its Gaelic patronymic origin.
Macauley is an anglicized form of the Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname Mac Amhalghaidh, meaning 'son of Amhalghaidh', an old Gaelic personal name of uncertain meaning, possibly 'son of the righteous one'. As a given name, it gained modern usage after the 1993 film 'Home Alone' popularized the actor Macaulay Culkin, though the spelling 'Macauley' is less common.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Mac, Cauley
Sibling names for Macauley
Names that share Macauley's style, for a brother or sister.
