2000
#9,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,992
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Mcbeth
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Bethad," meaning "son of Bethad" or "son of life."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,212 Americans carry the last name Mcbeth. That puts it at #10,866 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,711 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcbeth 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 Mcbeth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,711
Census rank
#10,866
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,801 bearers of the surname Mcbeth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10866th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcbeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcbeth
The surname McBeth is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Beathán," which means "life" or "vigor." This name likely originated from the northern regions of Scotland, such as the Highlands and the Hebrides Islands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McBeth can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, a historical record of royal finances and accounts, dated around the 14th century. The name appears in various spellings, including "McBeath," "McBeith," and "McBeth," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and orthography common during that era.
The McBeth name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of this surname is William McBeth (1789-1862), a Scottish poet and writer who gained recognition for his works celebrating the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and its people.
Another prominent individual with the McBeth surname was John McBeth (1825-1901), a Scottish-born American educator and writer. He served as the president of the University of Arkansas and authored several works on education and philosophy.
In the realm of sports, James McBeth (1873-1943) was a Scottish professional golfer who won multiple prestigious tournaments, including the British Open in 1904. His accomplishments contributed to the growing popularity of golf in the early 20th century.
The McBeth name has also been linked to various Scottish place names, such as Bethune, a town in Fife, and Beith, a town in North Ayrshire. These place names likely share a common Gaelic root with the surname, reflecting the geographic origins of the McBeth lineage.
One notable historical reference to the McBeth name comes from the famous play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare. While the play's title character is spelled differently, some scholars suggest that Shakespeare may have drawn inspiration from the Scottish surname McBeth or its variants when crafting the tragic character's name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcbeth
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcbeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcbeth 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 Mcbeth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.9% · 1,789
- Black or African American25.9% · 726
- Two or more races5.7% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcbeth
Mcbeth 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
#10,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,004
+12 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 700 places
2020
#10,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,801
-203 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 217 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,949 | 2,992 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,649 | 3,004 | 1.02 | +12 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 700 places |
| 2020 | #10,866 | 2,801 | 0.94 | -203 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 217 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 Mcbeth 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 | #10,649 | #10,866 | -2.0% |
| Count | 3,004 | 2,801 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.94 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcbeth bearers went from 3,004 to 2,801 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 217 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,649 to #10,866.
FAQ
Mcbeth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcbeth?
Name Census estimates that about 3,212 living Americans carry the surname Mcbeth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,711 residents.
How common is Mcbeth?
Mcbeth ranks #10,866 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,801 people with the surname Mcbeth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,212), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Mcbeth.
Has Mcbeth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcbeth went from 3,004 recorded bearers to 2,801. That is a decrease of 203 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,649 to #10,866.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcbeth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcbeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Mcbeth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.9% (1,789 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcbeth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.9%), Black (25.9%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Mcbeth (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 Mcbeth mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Bethad," meaning "son of Bethad" or "son of life." 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 Mcbeth (0.94 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 Mcbeth?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Mcbeth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.