Macaulay Family of Lewis - Population of Hebridean and Wester Ross Macaulays

Population of Hebridean and Wester Ross Macaulays

In 1861 Lewis had a population of 21,059 with almost one fifth of the island being a Macleod. Half the population of the island (10,430) consisted of a combination of the surnames Macleod, Macdonald, Mackenzie, Morrison and Macivor. Another quarter of the population (4,598) consisted of the names Maclean, Mackay, Smith, Macaulay, Murray and Campbell; all with at least 400 instances recorded. The most common surname was Macleod (3,838); Morrison (1,402) ranked fourth; and Macaulay (727) ranked as the ninth most common surname. The same year, on Harris (excluding Bernera and St Kilda), there were only 64 people surnamed Macaulay out of a population of 3,764; there were 646 recorded as Macleod and 530 as Morrison. At this time, North Uist then had a population of 3,939; Macaulay was the third most common surname with 165, following the names Macdonald with 1,064, and Maclean with 392. By 1961 Macaulay was the eleventh ranked surname on Lewis, with about 500. The Macleods were ranked first with just over 3,000 and the Macaulays' old rivals, the Morrisons, were ranked third with about 950.

In 1901, the parish of Gairloch, in Wester Ross, had a population of 4,181; 553 of whom were recorded on the Parliamentary roll. The most common 'clan surname' on the roll was Mackenzie with 159; there were 14 with Macleod and 5 with Macaulay.