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

McChesney, 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 McChesney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McChesney in America

McChesney is the 9100th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McChesney surname appeared 3,590 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McChesney.

We can also compare 2010 data for McChesney 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 McChesney

The surname McChesney has its origins in medieval Scotland, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Mac Gilla Énaí," which means "son of the servant of St. Énán." The name likely refers to an early bearer who served a church or monastery dedicated to the 6th-century Irish saint Énán.

The McChesney surname is first recorded in the early 13th century in the Scottish county of Ayrshire, where the family held lands and estates. The name appears in various early spellings, including McChenzie, McKechnie, and McKechany, reflecting the phonetic variations common in historical records.

In the 16th century, the McChesney family played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation, with James McChesney (c. 1530-1592) serving as a Protestant minister and supporter of John Knox. He was instrumental in establishing the Reformed Church in the town of Paisley.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any references to the McChesney name, as it was a distinctly Scottish surname that emerged later.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Parish Register of Beith, Ayrshire, where the birth of William McChesney is recorded in 1607. Another notable early bearer was Robert McChesney (c. 1640-1707), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1698.

Over the centuries, several individuals with the McChesney surname have achieved prominence in various fields. These include:

1. James McChesney (1780-1856), a Scottish-born American merchant and industrialist who established the McChesney Foundry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the early 19th century.

2. Sir John McChesney (1838-1907), a British civil engineer and railway contractor who oversaw the construction of numerous railways in India and South Africa.

3. Joseph McChesney (1856-1928), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania from 1909 to 1911.

4. Robert McChesney (1915-2004), an American author and scholar who specialized in the study of Irish literature and culture.

5. Dora McChesney (1870-1955), an American actress and vaudeville performer known for her comedic roles on Broadway and in silent films.

The McChesney surname has endured for centuries, with its roots firmly planted in Scotland's rich heritage and history, and its branches reaching across the globe as bearers of this name contributed to various fields and endeavors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McChesney

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

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

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

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