This may sound like a stupid question but does the name macaw come from the way some people think they sound "macaw macaw"? Is that a stupid question? I was just wondering, what do you think?

Hmmm good question...But I don't have an answer for you!

The only information I have found to date, is their name possibly originated from the Portuguese word macau. It's a word in the Brazilian language, perhaps Tupi macavuana, which may be the name of a type of palm tree the fruit of which the birds ate.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=macaw

That's interesting, Karen. Macau is a Portuguese colony near Hong Kong but you wouldn't find any macaws there. Not in the wild anyway!

I agree, I think it would have been less confusing to understand the origin of the name if the Etymology Dictionary would have left off that part and just simply used the second part; perhaps Tupi macavuana, which may be the name of a type of palm tree the fruit of which the birds eat.