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

Machan, 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 Machan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Machan in America

Machan is the 58735th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Machan surname appeared 345 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 Machan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Machan 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 Machan

The surname MACHAN has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "machann," which means a man who dwells or lives near the shore or the coast. The name was predominantly found in the coastal regions of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands and the Western Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MACHAN can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. In this document, the name appears as "Machan de Bute," indicating an individual from the Isle of Bute.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name MACHAN was prevalent in the Isle of Skye and the surrounding areas. Several historical records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, mention individuals bearing this surname.

Notable figures throughout history with the surname MACHAN include Alasdair MACHAN (c. 1580-1650), a renowned Scottish bard and poet from the Isle of Skye, renowned for his compositions in Gaelic. Another notable figure was Iain MACHAN (1720-1790), a prominent Highland chieftain and landowner from the Isle of Mull.

In the 18th century, the MACHAN surname was associated with the Clan Donald, one of the largest and most influential Scottish clans. The name was found in various clan records and histories, such as the "History of the Clan Donald" by Alexander Mackenzie.

Other notable individuals with the surname MACHAN include Angus MACHAN (1810-1890), a Scottish immigrant to Canada who became a successful businessman and landowner in Nova Scotia, and Mairi MACHAN (1855-1930), a renowned Gaelic singer and tradition-bearer from the Isle of Lewis.

The MACHAN surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Machanbeg and Machanmore, which derive from the Gaelic words "machann beag" and "machann mòr," meaning "little" and "large" shore or coast, respectively.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Machan

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

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 Machan 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 Machan 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 Machan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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