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

McBee, 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 McBee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McBee in America

McBee is the 5011th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McBee surname appeared 7,011 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McBee.

We can also compare 2010 data for McBee 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 McBee

The surname McBee is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "bee" referring to a diminutive form of a personal name or nickname. It is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century.

McBee is a variant spelling of the more common Scottish surname MacBeath, which is derived from the Gaelic name "Beathán" or "Beathadh," meaning "life" or "lively one." The earliest known recorded instance of the surname McBee dates back to the 15th century in the Lowlands of Scotland.

One notable historical figure bearing the name McBee was Sir James McBee, a Scottish soldier and landowner who fought in the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He was granted lands in the Scottish Borders region for his service.

In the 16th century, the McBee surname appeared in several Scottish records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which documented landholdings and tax records. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include "McBee," "McBay," and "McBeth."

Another prominent individual with the surname McBee was John McBee, a Scottish minister and scholar who lived in the late 17th century. He authored several theological works and served as a minister in the Church of Scotland.

During the Scottish diaspora of the 18th and 19th centuries, many McBees emigrated to North America, particularly to Canada and the United States. One notable McBee was Robert McBee, a Scottish-born farmer and landowner who settled in Virginia in the late 18th century.

In the 19th century, the McBee surname was found in various regions of the United States, including the Carolinas, Georgia, and Texas. One notable figure was James McBee, a farmer and landowner in South Carolina, born in 1815.

Another distinguished individual with the surname McBee was William McBee, a Scottish-born engineer and inventor who lived in the late 19th century. He held several patents for his innovations in the textile industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McBee

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

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

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

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