2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcanly
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic form of Angus, meaning "one strength".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Mcanly. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcanly 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Mcanly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcanly, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcanly
The surname MCANLY is of Irish origin, originating in the county of Antrim in Northern Ireland during the late 16th century. It is a variant spelling of the Irish surname McAnally, which is derived from the Gaelic name Mac an Ailigh, meaning "son of the one from Aileach." Aileach refers to an ancient royal fort located in County Donegal, suggesting that the name may have originated from a family who lived in or near this fort.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCANLY surname can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, which lists a John McAnly as a resident of Antrim. This document was a census-like record of households and their occupants, used for taxation purposes.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the MCANLY surname was predominantly concentrated in the counties of Antrim and Down, with some families also residing in County Donegal. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as McAnly, McAnley, or McAnlea, reflecting the variations in phonetic spelling common at the time.
A notable bearer of the MCANLY name was Robert McAnly (1718-1794), a prominent Presbyterian minister and educator in Pennsylvania. He was born in County Antrim and later emigrated to America, where he served as the first principal of the Rev. John Ewing's Academy in Maryland.
Another MCANLY of historical significance was William McAnly (1796-1882), a Scottish-born merchant and shipowner based in Liverpool, England. He was actively involved in the transatlantic trade and was a member of the Liverpool Town Council.
In the 19th century, the MCANLY surname began to spread beyond its Irish roots as families migrated to other parts of the United Kingdom and abroad. One example is Thomas McAnly (1828-1901), a British-born engineer and inventor who settled in Australia and played a significant role in developing the country's mining industry.
By the late 19th century, the MCANLY name had also established a presence in North America. One notable figure was John McAnly (1860-1932), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
Throughout its history, the MCANLY surname has been associated with various occupations, including clergy, merchants, engineers, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcanly
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcanly, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcanly 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 Mcanly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 96
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcanly
Mcanly 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,384 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,384 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 361 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 Mcanly 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 | #152,628 | #152,989 | -0.2% |
| Count | 107 | 105 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcanly bearers went from 107 to 105 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 361 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,989.
FAQ
Mcanly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcanly?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Mcanly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Mcanly?
Mcanly ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Mcanly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Mcanly.
Has Mcanly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcanly went from 107 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcanly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcanly, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Mcanly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcanly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Black (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Mcanly (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 Mcanly mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic form of Angus, meaning "one strength". 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 Mcanly (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 people have the surname Mcanly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.