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

McCant, 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 McCant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCant in America

McCant is the 51066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCant surname appeared 408 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 McCant.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCant 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 McCant

The surname McCant is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have emerged as a variant of the more common Scottish surname McCann, which itself is derived from the Gaelic personal name Annan or Annán.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCant spelling can be found in the Registry of the Privy Seal of Scotland, where a John McCant is mentioned in an entry from 1562. This document, which recorded various legal transactions and royal decrees, suggests that the name was already in use during the mid-16th century.

Historical records indicate that the McCant name was predominantly concentrated in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. In these regions, the name was often associated with families of modest means, such as tenant farmers or tradesmen.

A notable bearer of the McCant surname was Robert McCant, a Scottish merchant who lived in the late 17th century. According to records from the Scottish Burgh Records Society, McCant was a prominent figure in the town of Ayr, serving as a bailie (a municipal officer) and a member of the town council.

Another individual of historical significance was James McCant, who was born in Glasgow in 1744 and later became a respected Presbyterian minister. He served as the minister of the parish of Kilwinning in Ayrshire from 1773 until his death in 1812.

In the 19th century, the McCant name gained recognition through the life and works of William McCant, a Scottish poet and author born in Ayrshire in 1821. McCant's published works, which included collections of poems and essays, gained him a modest following among literary circles in Scotland during his lifetime.

Other notable bearers of the McCant surname include John McCant (1795-1867), a Scottish-born farmer and landowner who settled in Ontario, Canada, in the early 19th century, and Mary McCant (1876-1958), a Scottish educator and suffragette who campaigned for women's rights and educational reforms in the early 20th century.

While the McCant name may not have achieved widespread fame or prominence throughout history, it has endured as a distinct Scottish surname with a rich heritage rooted in the regional traditions and cultural tapestry of the Scottish Lowlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCant

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

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

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

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