2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Maceachen
Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Eachainn meaning "son of Eachainn".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Maceachen. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maceachen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Maceachen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Maceachen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maceachen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maceachen
The surname Maceachen originates from the Scottish Highlands, dating back to the 16th century. It is a variant spelling of the Gaelic name "MacEachan," which means "son of Eachan." Eachan is a diminutive form of the Gaelic name Eoghann, derived from the Greek name Eugenius, meaning "well-born" or "noble."
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Clan MacDougall territories of Argyll and Lorn, where the MacEachans were a sept or branch of the larger clan. In the 16th century, the MacEachans were known as skilled archers and warriors, serving as part of the clan's military forces.
One notable historical figure bearing the name was John Maceachen, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Jacobite Risings of the early 18th century. He was born in Argyll around 1690 and participated in the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715, where he was captured and later released.
Another prominent individual was Reverend Donald Maceachen (1778-1857), a Scottish minister and author from the Isle of Islay. He wrote several works on Highland history and culture, including "The Gaelic Names of Beasts, Birds, and Fishes" and "The Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland."
In the 19th century, the name appeared in various records and documents related to the Highland Clearances, when many MacEachans were forced to emigrate from their ancestral lands. Some settled in Canada, particularly in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, where the name is still found today.
One famous Canadian with the surname was John Maceachen (1849-1922), a politician and lawyer from Prince Edward Island. He served as the Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1899 to 1900 and was instrumental in the province's entry into Canadian Confederation.
Another notable figure was Angus Maceachen (1759-1835), a Scottish soldier and explorer who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He later became a fur trader and explorer in the Canadian Northwest, working for the North West Company.
While the Maceachen name is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maceachen
Among Census respondents with the surname Maceachen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Maceachen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Maceachen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 9
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maceachen
Maceachen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
-4 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,484 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-14 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,853 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 11,484 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 13,853 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Maceachen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,593 | #149,446 | -10.2% |
| Count | 124 | 110 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maceachen bearers went from 124 to 110 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 13,853 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #149,446.
FAQ
Maceachen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maceachen?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Maceachen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Maceachen?
Maceachen ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Maceachen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Maceachen.
Has Maceachen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maceachen went from 124 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Maceachen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maceachen, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Maceachen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maceachen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Hispanic (8.2%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Maceachen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Maceachen mean?
Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Eachainn meaning "son of Eachainn". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Maceachen (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Maceachen?
Find out how common the surname Maceachen is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.