2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcclinsey
An Irish surname meaning "son of the elegant one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Mcclinsey. 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 Mcclinsey 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 Mcclinsey 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 Mcclinsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcclinsey
The surname MCCLINSEY originated in Scotland during the medieval period, specifically in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. It is a locational name derived from the Gaelic placename "Clànadhaidh," which translates to "meadow by the river." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely resided near a riverbank or meadow.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Here, the name is listed as "Makclenehy." Over time, various spellings emerged, such as "McClenochie," "McClenaughy," and "McClinchy," before settling on the modern form of MCCLINSEY.
During the 16th century, the MCCLINSEY name appeared in several historical documents, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1541, which recorded a "John McClinchie" as a landowner in Ayrshire. Additionally, the Parish Registers of Lanarkshire from 1587 mentioned a "William McClinsey" as a resident of the area.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Sir James McClinsey (1620-1685), a Scottish soldier who fought in the English Civil War and later served as the Governor of Tangier, Morocco. Another prominent figure was Reverend Robert McClinsey (1695-1768), a Presbyterian minister who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.
In the 19th century, the MCCLINSEY name gained prominence with the birth of James McClinsey (1810-1892), a Scottish-American industrialist who established the McClinsey Steel Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was followed by his son, William McClinsey (1845-1918), who continued to expand the family business.
Another notable individual was Margaret McClinsey (1875-1957), a Scottish suffragette and women's rights activist who campaigned for equal voting rights and educational opportunities for women in the early 20th century.
Throughout history, the MCCLINSEY surname has been associated with various place names and locations in Scotland, such as Clyndert, Clyneburn, and Clenagh, which are believed to have influenced the name's spelling variations over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcclinsey
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclinsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcclinsey 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 Mcclinsey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 108
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcclinsey
Mcclinsey 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-17 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 27,453 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+11 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 27,453 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 11,758 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 Mcclinsey 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 | #159,712 | #147,954 | 7.4% |
| Count | 101 | 112 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcclinsey bearers went from 101 to 112 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 11,758 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #147,954.
FAQ
Mcclinsey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcclinsey?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Mcclinsey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Mcclinsey?
Mcclinsey 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 Mcclinsey. 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 Mcclinsey.
Has Mcclinsey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcclinsey went from 101 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 11 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcclinsey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclinsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Mcclinsey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcclinsey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Mcclinsey (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 Mcclinsey mean?
An Irish surname meaning "son of the elegant one". 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 Mcclinsey (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 many people have the last name Mcclinsey?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Mcclinsey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.