2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcclenithan
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the chieftain".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Mcclenithan. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcclenithan 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Mcclenithan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclenithan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcclenithan
The surname MCCLENITHAN is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the 13th century in the Highlands region. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "lèinnidh" which translates to "belonging to the clan." This suggests that the name originated as a designation for someone who was part of a particular Scottish clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1292, where a "Gillebride McClenithan" is mentioned as a landowner in the area now known as Argyll and Bute. This document provides evidence of the name's existence during the tumultuous period of the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.
In the 16th century, the MCCLENITHAN name appears in several historical records, including the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland from 1545, where a "Johnne McClenithan" is listed as a witness in a legal dispute over land ownership. This suggests that the family had established itself as a prominent clan in the region by that time.
The MCCLENITHAN surname has been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Lachlan MCCLENITHAN (1715-1789), a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was renowned for his bravery and leadership, and his exploits were well-documented in contemporary accounts.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Angus MCCLENITHAN (1823-1896), a Scottish-born author and journalist who emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. He gained recognition for his writings on Scottish culture and history, including his seminal work "The Clans of Scotland: Their History and Traditions."
In the 19th century, the MCCLENITHAN surname was also associated with several Scottish industrialists and businessmen. One notable example was Robert MCCLENITHAN (1845-1912), a successful textile manufacturer from Glasgow, who played a significant role in the city's industrial development during the Victorian era.
The MCCLENITHAN name has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as the village of McClenithan in Argyll and Bute, which likely derived its name from the clan or family that inhabited the area. Additionally, variations of the surname, such as "McLenathan" and "McClenathan," have been recorded throughout Scottish history, further attesting to the name's longevity and regional variations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcclenithan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclenithan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcclenithan 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 Mcclenithan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 6
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcclenithan
Mcclenithan 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,463 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-12 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,535 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 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 5,463 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 9,535 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 Mcclenithan 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 | #145,220 | #154,755 | -6.6% |
| Count | 114 | 102 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcclenithan bearers went from 114 to 102 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 9,535 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #154,755.
FAQ
Mcclenithan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcclenithan?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Mcclenithan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Mcclenithan?
Mcclenithan ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Mcclenithan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Mcclenithan.
Has Mcclenithan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcclenithan went from 114 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcclenithan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclenithan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mcclenithan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcclenithan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mcclenithan (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 Mcclenithan mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the chieftain". 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 Mcclenithan (0.03 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 share the surname Mcclenithan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.