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

McCain, 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 McCain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCain in America

McCain is the 1888th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCain surname appeared 19,032 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname McCain.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCain 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 McCain

The surname McCain is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic phrase "mac Iain," meaning "son of Ian." The name can be traced back to the early 12th century in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McCain can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of parchment rolls containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "MacIan" in these rolls.

In the 14th century, the name began to appear in various spellings, such as "MacCane," "MacKane," and "MacKain." These variations were likely due to the phonetic spelling of the name by English scribes who were unfamiliar with the Gaelic language.

The McCain name has been associated with several notable historical figures throughout the centuries. One such figure was Sir John McCain, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

Another prominent individual was Sir James McCain, who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the late 16th century. He played a crucial role in the city's defense during the Scottish Reformation.

In the 17th century, the name McCain appeared in various parts of Scotland, including the Highlands and Lowlands. One notable bearer of the name was Alexander McCain, a Scottish soldier who fought in the English Civil War and later settled in Ulster, Ireland.

During the 18th century, many McCains emigrated from Scotland to the American colonies, particularly to Virginia and the Carolinas. One such individual was James McCain, who was born in Scotland in 1719 and later served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the McCain name continued to spread throughout the United States, with several individuals achieving prominence. One such person was John Sidney McCain, a United States Navy officer who served during the American Civil War and later became a successful businessperson in Mississippi.

The name McCain has been carried by numerous notable individuals throughout its long history, from medieval Scottish knights to American military leaders and politicians. It remains a prominent surname in both Scotland and the United States, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and resilience of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCain

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

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

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

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