2000
#31,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 697
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Mcclard
A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name comprised of the elements "mac" (son) and "Lard" (a pet form of the name Laurence).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 889 Americans carry the last name Mcclard. That puts it at #31,939 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 385,550 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcclard 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
889
1 in 385,550
Census rank
#31,939
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
775
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 775 bearers of the surname Mcclard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31939th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcclard
The surname McClard is of Scottish origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be a variant of the more common Scottish surname McCleary, which is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "lèir" meaning "bright" or "radiant."
The earliest known records of the McClard surname can be traced back to the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. Some historians suggest that the name may have originated from a place name, such as the lands of Clary or Clerie in the parish of Stewarton, East Ayrshire.
One of the earliest documented instances of the McClard surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Maclerid," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of McClard.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the McClard name was John McClard, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Irvine, Ayrshire. Records from the time indicate that he was involved in trade with the Low Countries and owned several properties in the area.
Another notable figure in the history of the McClard surname was Robert McClard, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms during the 17th century. He served under the Marquis of Montrose and was mentioned in contemporary accounts for his bravery in battle.
In the 18th century, a branch of the McClard family settled in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the region of Inverness-shire. One prominent member of this branch was Alexander McClard, who was a successful farmer and landowner in the village of Culloden.
During the 19th century, the McClard surname began to spread beyond Scotland as many families emigrated to other parts of the British Empire and beyond. One notable figure from this period was William McClard, a Scottish-born engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 1800s.
As the McClard surname continued to disperse throughout the world, it also underwent further variations in spelling, with forms such as McClard, McClerd, and McClaird appearing in various records and documents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcclard
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcclard 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 Mcclard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 677
- Two or more races6.3% · 49
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 25
- Black or African American1.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcclard
Mcclard appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#32,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 705
+8 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 1,173 places
2020
#31,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 775
+70 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 660 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,426 | 697 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,599 | 705 | 0.24 | +8 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 1,173 places |
| 2020 | #31,939 | 775 | 0.26 | +70 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 660 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 Mcclard 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 | #32,599 | #31,939 | 2.0% |
| Count | 705 | 775 | 9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.26 | 8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcclard bearers went from 705 to 775 (+9.9% change). The surname moved up 660 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,599 to #31,939.
FAQ
Mcclard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcclard?
Name Census estimates that about 889 living Americans carry the surname Mcclard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 385,550 residents.
How common is Mcclard?
Mcclard ranks #31,939 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 775 people with the surname Mcclard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (889), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Mcclard.
Has Mcclard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcclard went from 705 recorded bearers to 775. That is an increase of 70 (+9.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #32,599 to #31,939.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcclard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclard, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Mcclard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (677 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcclard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (6.3%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Mcclard (2000, 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 Mcclard mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name comprised of the elements "mac" (son) and "Lard" (a pet form of the name Laurence). 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 Mcclard (0.26 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 many people have the surname Mcclard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.