2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mccellon
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "near the green mound".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Mccellon. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccellon 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.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Mccellon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccellon, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Hispanic (10.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccellon
The surname MCCELLON has its roots in Scotland, where it emerged during the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "ceallan," which refers to a person of fair complexion or light hair color. It is possible that the name initially served as a descriptive nickname for someone with a particularly pale appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of written declarations of fealty to King Edward I of England. The rolls mention a certain John Maccellun, who hailed from the region of Ayrshire in southwestern Scotland.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as MacCellon, MacCelland, and MacKelland, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions during that period. Records from this time indicate that the MCCELLON family held lands in the county of Lanarkshire, near the city of Glasgow.
One notable figure bearing the MCCELLON surname was Sir Robert McCellon, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He was present at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and was granted lands in recognition of his bravery.
In the 16th century, the McCELLON name was associated with the clan Donald, one of the most powerful Scottish clans of the time. A branch of the family settled in the Hebrides Islands, where they held significant influence and played a role in various clan conflicts.
Another prominent individual with the MCCELLON surname was James McCellon, a Scottish clergyman and scholar who lived in the late 17th century. He served as the minister of the parish of Kilwinning in Ayrshire and was known for his theological writings and contributions to the Presbyterian Church.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, many individuals bearing the MCCELLON name immigrated to North America, particularly to Canada and the United States. Some notable figures from this period include:
1. David McCellon (1765-1842), a Scottish-born soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Upper Canada (now Ontario).
2. Elizabeth McCellon (1801-1876), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who established one of the first schools for girls in New England.
3. William McCellon (1825-1898), a Scottish-American industrialist who founded the McCellon Steel Company in Pittsburgh, which played a significant role in the growth of the American steel industry.
4. Margaret McCellon (1860-1932), a Canadian author and journalist who wrote extensively about the experiences of women in the early 20th century.
5. Robert McCellon (1875-1948), a Scottish-born architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the iconic Woolworth Building.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccellon
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccellon, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Hispanic (10.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccellon 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 Mccellon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.9% · 66
- Black or African American18.1% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino10.5% · 11
- Two or more races8.6% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccellon
Mccellon appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 4,642 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 Mccellon 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 | #148,347 | #152,989 | -3.1% |
| Count | 111 | 105 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccellon bearers went from 111 to 105 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 4,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #152,989.
FAQ
Mccellon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccellon?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Mccellon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Mccellon?
Mccellon ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Mccellon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mccellon.
Has Mccellon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccellon went from 111 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccellon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccellon, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.9%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Hispanic (10.5%). 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 Mccellon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.9% (66 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccellon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.9%), Black (18.1%), Hispanic (10.5%). 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 Mccellon (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 Mccellon mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "near the green mound". 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 Mccellon (0.04 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 common is the surname Mccellon?
See how many Americans have the surname Mccellon on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.