Find out how popular the last name McCalvin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McCalvin.
Son of the bald one from Gaelic roots.
McCalvin, 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 McCalvin surname is from the 2010 census data.
McCalvin is the 64559th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The McCalvin surname appeared 308 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McCalvin.
We can also compare 2010 data for McCalvin 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 64559 | 62577 | 3.12% |
Count | 308 | 299 | 2.97% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.10 | 0.11 | -9.52% |
The surname McCalvin is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Calvan," which means "bald" or "bald head." The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" is a Scottish and Irish patronymic meaning "son of."
McCalvin is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Scottish parish records of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John McCalvin, who was born in Argyllshire around 1620. He is mentioned in the court records of the time as a landowner and prominent member of the local community.
In the 17th century, the McCalvin family played a role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which involved conflicts between the Scottish Covenanters and the English Royalists. There are records of several McCalvins serving as soldiers and officers during these turbulent times.
Another notable figure was Robert McCalvin, born in Perthshire in 1685. He was a scholar and writer who published several works on Scottish history and literature in the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, the McCalvin name spread throughout Scotland and beyond, as many members of the family emigrated to other parts of the British Empire and the United States. One prominent individual was William McCalvin (1810-1892), a Scottish-born businessman who became a successful merchant and landowner in Canada.
James McCalvin (1832-1901), born in Glasgow, was a renowned engineer and inventor. He is credited with significant contributions to the development of steam engines and industrial machinery during the Industrial Revolution.
Another noteworthy figure was Alice McCalvin (1879-1957), a Scottish suffragette and social activist who campaigned for women's rights and educational reforms in the early 20th century.
Throughout its history, the McCalvin surname has been associated with various professions, including landowners, scholars, soldiers, businessmen, and activists. While the name may have originated in Scotland, it has since spread to many parts of the world, carried by generations of McCalvins who have left their mark in various fields.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McCalvin.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McCalvin was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 67.21% | 207 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 29.22% | 90 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.95% | 6 |
Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 McCalvin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 67.21% | 70.90% | -5.34% |
Black | 29.22% | 26.09% | 11.32% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 1.95% | 0.00% | 200.00% |
Hispanic | (S)% | 2.34% | (S)% |
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 McCalvin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McCalvin, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/mccalvin-surname-popularity/">McCalvin last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"McCalvin last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on September 16, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mccalvin-surname-popularity/.
"McCalvin last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mccalvin-surname-popularity/. Accessed 16 September, 2025
McCalvin last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/mccalvin-surname-popularity/.
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