Macaulay
Macaulay is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Macaulay
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Macaulay is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Macaulay
As a girl name
Macaulay first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1991, with 10 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1991: 10 births, good for #7,987 nationwide. Macaulay last appeared in the published SSA data in 1994, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 15 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Macaulay as a boy name dates back to 1990, when 5 babies received it. 1992 was its biggest year on record, with 36 newborns named Macaulay — #2,128 in the national rankings. About 46% of every Macaulay on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Macaulay ranks #6,188 for boys with 14 births, rising sharply (+78% over the past five years). All told, over 277 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Macaulay
Phonetically similar names — useful when Macaulay is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Macaulay
What does the name Macaulay mean?
What is the origin of the name Macaulay?
How popular is Macaulay in 2026?
When was Macaulay most popular?
In which U.S. states is Macaulay most popular?
Is Macaulay a unisex name?
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About the name Macaulay
Macaulay is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1990 and has accumulated 277 births in the dataset. Macaulay's peak popularity came in 1992 when it ranked #2,128. Use the chart and map above to compare Macaulay's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1992 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.