2000
#10,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,865
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Macneil
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Néill," meaning "son of Neil," a personal name of Irish origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,135 Americans carry the last name Macneil. That puts it at #11,081 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,332 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macneil 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 Macneil with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,332
Census rank
#11,081
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,734 bearers of the surname Macneil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11081st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macneil, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macneil
The surname MACNEIL has its origins in Scotland, where it emerged in the early medieval period. It is a variant of the Gaelic name MacNaghten or McNaughton, derived from the personal name Neachdain or Nechtan, which means "pure" or "bright." The name was first found in the regions of Argyll and the Isles, where the clan MacNeil held lands and wielded considerable influence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MACNEIL name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1263, where a certain Gillecalum MacNachtan is mentioned. The name is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.
In the 14th century, the MACNEIL clan played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, supporting Robert the Bruce in his struggle against the English. The clan's chief, Gillebride MacNeil, is recorded as having fought alongside Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
Over the centuries, the MACNEIL name has been associated with various notable figures. In the 16th century, Niall Og MacNeil (c. 1510-1585) was a renowned poet and bard from the Isle of Barra. His collection of poems, known as the "Book of Clanranald," is considered a valuable historical and cultural resource.
Another prominent MACNEIL was Sir John MacNeil (1637-1722), a Scottish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland from 1689 to 1704. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the Church of Scotland and the maintenance of Presbyterian governance in the country.
In the 18th century, John MacNeil (1725-1789) was a Scottish army officer who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He became known for his leadership and bravery in battles such as the Siege of Fort St. Philip and the Battle of Germantown.
Moving into the 19th century, Robert MacNeil (1804-1881) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. He was instrumental in the establishment of several important institutions, including the University of Queen's College (now Queen's University) in Kingston, Ontario.
Finally, in more recent times, Robert MacNeil (born 1931) is a renowned Canadian-American journalist and author. He co-anchored the acclaimed PBS news program "The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour" from 1976 to 1995 and has authored several books on journalism and American history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macneil
Among Census respondents with the surname Macneil, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Macneil 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 Macneil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 2,474
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 103
- Two or more races2.6% · 71
- Black or African American1.5% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macneil
Macneil 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
#10,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,003
+138 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 346 places
2020
#11,081
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,734
-269 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 428 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,307 | 2,865 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,653 | 3,003 | 1.02 | +138 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 346 places |
| 2020 | #11,081 | 2,734 | 0.91 | -269 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 428 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 Macneil 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 | #10,653 | #11,081 | -4.0% |
| Count | 3,003 | 2,734 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.91 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macneil bearers went from 3,003 to 2,734 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 428 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,653 to #11,081.
FAQ
Macneil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macneil?
Name Census estimates that about 3,135 living Americans carry the surname Macneil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,332 residents.
How common is Macneil?
Macneil ranks #11,081 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,734 people with the surname Macneil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Macneil.
Has Macneil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macneil went from 3,003 recorded bearers to 2,734. That is a decrease of 269 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,653 to #11,081.
What does the Census say about the background of Macneil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macneil, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Macneil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (2,474 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macneil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Macneil (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 Macneil mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Néill," meaning "son of Neil," a personal name of Irish origin. 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 Macneil (0.91 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 people are called Macneil?
Find out how many people have the surname Macneil on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.