2000
#4,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,769
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.88
Rare Last name
Mccallister
A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a maid or a collector of taxes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,661 Americans carry the last name Mccallister. That puts it at #4,559 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,574 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccallister 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 Mccallister with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.7K
1 in 39,574
Census rank
#4,559
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,553 bearers of the surname Mccallister in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4559th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccallister, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccallister
The surname McCallister is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the Gaelic language and the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic personal name "Callistair," derived from the Greek name "Kallistos," meaning "most beautiful."
The McCallister name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Ayrshire and Galloway, located in the southwestern part of Scotland. Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries show various spellings, including McCalister, McCallester, and MacCalaster, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "John McCalister" is listed among those from the county of Ayr.
In the 16th century, the McCallisters were prominent landowners and played a role in the clan conflicts and feuds that were common in Scottish history. Sir Duncan McCallister of Ardwell, born around 1520, was a notable figure who actively participated in these clan disputes.
During the 17th century, the McCallister name appeared in various historical records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1691, which listed households and their occupants for taxation purposes. John McCallister of Ayrshire was recorded as a landowner during this period.
One of the most famous individuals with the McCallister surname was Sir Brewster McCallister, born in 1767. He was a Scottish naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and was celebrated for his bravery during the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted for his distinguished service in 1805.
Another notable McCallister was Robert McCallister, born in 1812, a Scottish politician and Member of Parliament for the County of Ayr from 1857 to 1868. He played a significant role in advocating for agricultural reforms and the rights of Scottish tenants.
In the literary world, the surname is associated with Archibald McCallister, a Scottish poet and author born in 1830. He gained recognition for his works depicting rural life and the natural beauty of Scotland.
The McCallister name has also been linked to place names, such as McCallister's Loch in Ayrshire, a body of water named after a prominent local family in the area.
Throughout its history, the McCallister surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, military officers, politicians, and literary figures, reflecting the diversity and rich heritage of this Scottish name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccallister
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccallister, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccallister 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 Mccallister surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 6,276
- Black or African American8.6% · 646
- Two or more races4.8% · 365
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 196
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccallister
Mccallister 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
#4,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,545
+776 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 2.90
Rank movement Up 75 places
2020
#4,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,553
-992 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 2.53
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,221 | 7,769 | 2.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,146 | 8,545 | 2.90 | +776 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 75 places |
| 2020 | #4,559 | 7,553 | 2.53 | -992 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 413 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 Mccallister 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 | #4,146 | #4,559 | -10.0% |
| Count | 8,545 | 7,553 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.90 | 2.53 | -12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccallister bearers went from 8,545 to 7,553 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,146 to #4,559.
FAQ
Mccallister surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccallister?
Name Census estimates that about 8,661 living Americans carry the surname Mccallister. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,574 residents.
How common is Mccallister?
Mccallister ranks #4,559 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,553 people with the surname Mccallister. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,661), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mccallister.
Has Mccallister become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccallister went from 8,545 recorded bearers to 7,553. That is a decrease of 992 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,146 to #4,559.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccallister?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccallister, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Mccallister in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (6,276 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccallister appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Black (8.6%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Mccallister (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 Mccallister mean?
A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a maid or a collector of taxes. 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 Mccallister (2.53 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 Mccallister?
See how many people have the last name Mccallister on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.