2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Macgown
A Gaelic surname indicating a descendant of a medieval tenant farmer or laborer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Macgown. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macgown 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.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Macgown in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macgown, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macgown
The surname MACGOWN is of Scottish origin, originating in the Highlands region of Scotland during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "gowna" or "gouna," which referred to a type of thick, heavy cloth or garment.
It is believed that the name initially referred to someone who made or sold this type of fabric or clothing, suggesting that the earliest bearers of the name were likely involved in the textile trade or worked as tailors or clothiers. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be "MacGoune" in records from the 14th century.
One of the earliest documented references to the name MACGOWN can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of written submissions made by Scottish nobles and landowners pledging allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was well-established in Scotland by the late 13th century.
In the 16th century, the MACGOWN surname is recorded in various Scottish parish registers and legal documents, often with variations in spelling such as "McGowne," "McGowan," and "McGoune." Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include John McGowne, who was recorded in the parish records of Kilmarnock in 1564, and David McGowan, who was listed in the Burgh Records of Prestwick in 1583.
Several notable historical figures have borne the MACGOWN surname, including:
1. Sir John McGowan (1640-1722), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh and a member of the Parliament of Scotland.
2. Alexander McGoun (1781-1856), a Scottish-born Presbyterian minister and educator who founded the McGoun Institute in Pennsylvania, United States.
3. William McGown (1812-1871), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the McGown Woolen Mills in Pennsylvania.
4. James McGown (1856-1925), a Scottish-born American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from West Virginia.
5. Andrew McGown (1879-1966), a Scottish-born American engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of steam turbine design.
While the MACGOWN surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the traditions of the Scottish Highlands and the textile industry that played a significant role in the region's economy and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macgown
Among Census respondents with the surname Macgown, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Macgown 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 Macgown surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 6
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macgown
Macgown 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,591 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,591 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 4,077 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 Macgown 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 | #148,347 | #144,270 | 2.7% |
| Count | 111 | 117 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macgown bearers went from 111 to 117 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 4,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #144,270.
FAQ
Macgown surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macgown?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Macgown. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Macgown?
Macgown ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Macgown. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Macgown.
Has Macgown become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macgown went from 111 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Macgown?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macgown, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Macgown in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macgown appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Macgown (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 Macgown mean?
A Gaelic surname indicating a descendant of a medieval tenant farmer or laborer. 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 Macgown (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 many Americans have the surname Macgown?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.