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

McBean, 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 McBean surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McBean in America

McBean is the 16939th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McBean surname appeared 1,679 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McBean.

We can also compare 2010 data for McBean 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 McBean

The surname McBean is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Beathain, meaning "son of the life" or "son of the beath (birch tree)." It is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the area around Inverness-shire, where the surname was first recorded.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of documents that recorded the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name appears as "Macbethane."

In the 16th century, the McBean clan was prominent in the regions around Loch Arkaig and Loch Lochy in the Scottish Highlands. The clan was known for their involvement in various feuds and battles with neighboring clans, such as the Camerons and the MacDonalds.

A notable figure in McBean history is Sir Gillies McBean, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a renowned warrior and leader of the McBean clan, and is said to have played a significant role in the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594, where he fought alongside the Earl of Huntly against the forces of the Earl of Argyll.

Another prominent McBean was John McBean, a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1718 and became a notable figure in the conflict, serving as a lieutenant colonel in the King's Royal Regiment of New York.

In the 19th century, the McBean surname was also found in Canada, where many Scottish emigrants settled. One such individual was Archibald McBean, a Scottish-born fur trader and explorer who worked for the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in 1776 and is known for his explorations in the Canadian Northwest Territories.

The McBean name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McBean's Point and McBean's Creek, which are located in the Highlands region. These place names reflect the historical presence of the McBean clan in that area.

Throughout history, the McBean surname has undergone various spelling variations, including MacBean, MacBane, and MacBayne, among others. These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and the regional dialects of the Scottish Highlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McBean

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

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

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

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