MacLaren last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of MacLaren

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic MacLĂ rainn meaning "son of the battler" or "son of the skilled servant".

MacLaren, 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 MacLaren surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of MacLaren in America

MacLaren is the 19581st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The MacLaren surname appeared 1,378 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 MacLaren.

We can also compare 2010 data for MacLaren 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 19581 20087 -2.55%
Count 1,378 1,235 10.95%
Proportion per 100k 0.47 0.46 2.15%

The history of the last name MacLaren

The surname MacLaren has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic "MacLabhruinn," meaning "son of the loud or noisy one," or "son of the wanderer." It is believed that the name originally referred to a person with a loud voice or a wandering lifestyle.

The MacLaren clan was traditionally based in the region of Balquhidder, near Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park in central Scotland. The name first appeared in written records in the early 1200s, with references to individuals bearing the name in charters and land grants from that period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents from 1296 that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The Ragman Rolls mention a "Malcolm Maklouren" from the region of Balquhidder.

In the 14th century, the MacLarens were involved in conflicts with neighboring clans, such as the MacGregors, over territorial disputes. The clan's crest features a laurel wreath and the motto "Aucto Virtute Gloria" (Glory through virtue increased), reflecting their proud heritage and martial spirit.

Notable individuals bearing the MacLaren surname throughout history include:

  1. Sir John MacLaren (c. 1470-1537), a Scottish nobleman and chief of the MacLaren clan during the 16th century.
  2. Archibald MacLaren (1672-1750), a Presbyterian minister and author of several religious works in the early 18th century.
  3. John MacLaren (1789-1865), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who helped establish the University of Edinburgh's chair of rhetoric and belles-lettres.
  4. Eva MacLaren (1838-1911), a Scottish-born Canadian author and journalist who wrote extensively on women's rights and social issues.
  5. Archibald Douglas MacLaren (1860-1940), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the Australian Senate from 1901 to 1920.

The MacLaren name has been found in various spellings over the centuries, including McLaren, McLaurin, and McClaren, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier times. While the name is most commonly associated with Scotland, it has spread to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name MacLaren

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

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 MacLaren was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.98% 1,295
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.60% 22
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.32% 32
Hispanic Origin 1.09% 15

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 MacLaren has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.98% 96.03% -2.16%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.60% 1.05% 41.51%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.32% 1.21% 62.89%
Hispanic 1.09% 0.81% 29.47%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"MacLaren last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 9, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/maclaren-surname-popularity/.

"MacLaren last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/maclaren-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 July, 2025

MacLaren last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/maclaren-surname-popularity/.

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