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

McBroom, 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 McBroom surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McBroom in America

McBroom is the 7287th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McBroom surname appeared 4,573 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 McBroom.

We can also compare 2010 data for McBroom 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 McBroom

The surname MCBROOM originated in Scotland, first appearing in written records in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "broom," which refers to the shrub or small tree with yellow flowers. This suggests the name may have been originally a nickname for someone who lived near an area with an abundance of broom plants.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England following his invasion of Scotland. An entry for a John McBroom from Aberdeenshire is listed among those taking the oath.

The MCBROOM surname is most closely associated with the Scottish Highlands, particularly in regions like Inverness-shire and Ross and Cromarty. Variations in spelling over the centuries include McBroome, McBrume, and McBroon. Some of these alternate spellings may have been influenced by the anglicization of Gaelic names during periods of English rule.

A notable early bearer of the name was Sir William McBroom, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. He was rewarded with lands in Fife for his service.

In the 16th century, records show a John McBroom who served as a parish clerk in Elgin in the 1520s. Around the same time, a Robert McBroom was a respected merchant and burgess in Aberdeen in the 1540s.

Moving into the 17th century, Reverend Alexander McBroom (1616-1691) was a Church of Scotland minister who served parishes in Cromarty and Sutherland. He authored several religious treatises during his lifetime.

A century later, General Alexander McBroom (1751-1831) had a distinguished military career, fighting in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars before retiring to his estate in Perthshire.

James McBroom (1788-1859) was a Scottish botanist and plant collector who made important contributions to the cataloging of plant species found across Britain during the early 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McBroom

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

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

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

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