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

McClain, 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 McClain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McClain in America

McClain is the 722nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McClain surname appeared 48,165 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 16 people would have the surname McClain.

We can also compare 2010 data for McClain 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 McClain

The surname McClain is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Lèinn, meaning "son of the tonsured one" or "son of the servant." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century, primarily in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.

The name is thought to be a variant of the more common Scottish surname MacLean, with the spelling variation arising from phonetic differences in pronunciation. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Scottish records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John McClain, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Records also show that a Robert McClain was a signatory of the Arbroath Declaration of 1320, a significant document that asserted Scotland's independence from England.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with this surname was John McClain, a Scottish clergyman and scholar who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1567. He played a vital role in the Scottish Reformation and was a close associate of John Knox.

During the 17th century, the McClain surname spread beyond Scotland as Scottish settlers migrated to the Ulster region of Ireland, giving rise to the variant spelling McClean. One prominent individual was James McClean, an Ulster-Scot who immigrated to America in the late 17th century and became one of the founders of Londonderry, New Hampshire.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas McClain, a Scottish naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was involved in several notable battles, including the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781.

Another individual of significance was Robert McClain, a Scottish poet and author who lived in the late 18th century. His works, including a collection of poems titled "The Lays of Caledonia," contributed to the literary tradition of Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McClain

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

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

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

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