McCall
A surname of Gaelic origin, often understood as “son of Call,” though some historical sources link it to related Gaelic names such as MacCathal or MacGall.
The #794 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,100 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McCall is a Gaelic surname built on Mac, meaning “son of,” plus a personal name element. Historical writers connect it in different ways: some treat it as a form related to MacCathal/MacCallum, from Cathal, usually explained as “battle-ruler” or “battle and valour,” while others note an Irish form MacGall. Because the surname appears in several closely related Gaelic spellings, its exact origin can vary by family line.
History
The name is found in both Irish and Scottish contexts, and the spellings MacCall, MacCaul, MacHall, and MacGall appear in older sources. In English-language records, McCall became the common shortened form. Because Gaelic surnames were often anglicized in multiple ways, different McCall families may not share a single ancestor or even the same original Gaelic form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th- and early-20th-century surname books do not always agree on whether McCall belongs with Cathal-based names or with other Gaelic forms, so the name has a bit of built-in etymological debate.
From the historical record
“(a hillman) McCall. Irish McGall ; Scot. McCall ; p.n. From cathal (battle, valour) McCallum. See Callum McClave. From the Irish lamh (a”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)