2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcclenan
Son of the tawny or reddish-haired man of Scottish origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Mcclenan. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcclenan 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Mcclenan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcclenan
The surname McClenan has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic term "Mac Gille Fhionndain," which translates to "son of the servant of St. Findan." St. Findan was a renowned Irish missionary and saint who established several churches and monasteries in the region during the 6th century.
The earliest recorded instances of the McClenan surname can be found in historical documents from the Scottish counties of Argyll and Ayr, where the name was particularly prevalent. In the 13th century, a record mentions a "Gilcolm MacGillifundan" from the Isle of Islay, which is believed to be an early variation of the surname.
During the medieval period, the McClenan family played a significant role in the affairs of the Scottish Highlands. One notable figure was Sir John McClenan, a valiant knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England in the early 14th century.
In the 16th century, the McClenans were recognized as a prominent clan in the region of Kintyre, with their ancestral lands located in the vicinity of the village of Clachan. This area was once known as "MacGillfhionndan's Clachan," reflecting the strong association between the surname and the local geography.
The McClenan name has also been documented in various historical manuscripts, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded homages made to King Edward I of England. Among the signatories was a "Gillecrist MacGillifundan" from the county of Ayr.
Over the centuries, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as McClennan, McLennan, and MacLennan, reflecting the fluidity of written records and regional dialects. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its distinct Scottish heritage.
Notable individuals with the surname McClenan include:
1. Alexander McClenan (c. 1690 - 1773), a Scottish-born Presbyterian minister who emigrated to Colonial America and served as the first pastor of the Pequea Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania.
2. Angus McClenan (1750 - 1825), a Scottish soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Nova Scotia, Canada.
3. Mary McClenan (1806 - 1892), a Scottish-born author and poet who published several works in the mid-19th century, including the collection "Poems and Songs of the Highlands."
4. Robert McClenan (1842 - 1915), a Scottish-Canadian farmer and community leader who played a significant role in the development of the Red River Valley region in Manitoba.
5. Iain McClenan (1920 - 2001), a renowned Scottish historian and author who specialized in the study of Highland clans and their traditions, contributing numerous scholarly works on the subject.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcclenan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcclenan 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 Mcclenan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.0% · 65
- Black or African American25.9% · 29
- Two or more races8.9% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcclenan
Mcclenan 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+23 bearers (+20.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 11,508 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-21 bearers (-15.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,705 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +23 bearers (+20.9%) | Up 11,508 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.8%) | Down 19,705 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 Mcclenan 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 | #128,249 | #147,954 | -15.4% |
| Count | 133 | 112 | -15.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcclenan bearers went from 133 to 112 (-15.8% change). The surname moved down 19,705 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #147,954.
FAQ
Mcclenan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcclenan?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Mcclenan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Mcclenan?
Mcclenan ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Mcclenan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Mcclenan.
Has Mcclenan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcclenan went from 133 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 21 (-15.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcclenan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclenan, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.0%. The next largest groups are Black (25.9%) and Two or More Races (8.9%). 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 Mcclenan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.0% (65 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcclenan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.0%), Black (25.9%), Two or More Races (8.9%). 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 Mcclenan (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 Mcclenan mean?
Son of the tawny or reddish-haired man of Scottish origin. 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 Mcclenan (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 Mcclenan?
Find out how common the surname Mcclenan is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.