Find out how popular the last name Machain is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Machain.

Machain, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Machain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Machain in America

Machain is the 45886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Machain surname appeared 465 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Machain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Machain to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Machain

The surname MACHAIN has its origins in the Gaelic language, specifically from the Scottish Highlands region. It is believed to have emerged around the 13th century and is derived from the Gaelic word "machain," which means "small field" or "little plain."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MACHAIN can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, dating back to 1263, where a person named Gillecrist Machain was mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.

In the 15th century, the name MACHAIN appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a historical record of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This indicates that the MACHAIN family held a certain level of prominence and influence in the Scottish Highlands during that era.

The MACHAIN surname is also closely associated with the Clan Chattan, a prominent Scottish clan with roots in the Highlands. It is believed that some members of the MACHAIN family were part of this clan or held close ties with them.

One notable person bearing the MACHAIN surname was Angus Machain, a Scottish warrior who lived in the late 14th century. He was renowned for his bravery and skill in battle and is said to have fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

Another individual of historical significance was Iain Machain, a 16th-century Scottish poet and scholar. He is credited with preserving and documenting many traditional Gaelic songs and poems, contributing to the preservation of Scottish cultural heritage.

In the 17th century, a branch of the MACHAIN family migrated to Ireland, where the name was anglicized to various spellings such as MacCaughan, McCaughan, and McCaughen. This migration likely occurred during the Plantation of Ulster, when many Scottish settlers were encouraged to resettle in parts of Ireland.

Towards the 18th century, the MACHAIN surname began to spread beyond Scotland and Ireland, with some individuals bearing the name appearing in historical records in other parts of the British Isles and even in the American colonies.

Over the centuries, the MACHAIN surname has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Machain in Argyll, Mochrum in Wigtownshire, and Machany in Aberdeenshire. These place names may have influenced or been influenced by the surname itself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Machain

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Machain.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Machain was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Machain has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Machain was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Machain, please contact us.

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