2000
#5,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,368
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.99
Rare Last name
Mcclinton
A Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of Glennon," a Gaelic name derived from the word "gleann" meaning "valley."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,604 Americans carry the last name Mcclinton. That puts it at #5,792 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,901 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcclinton 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcclinton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 51,901
Census rank
#5,792
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,759 bearers of the surname Mcclinton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5792nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclinton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcclinton
The surname McClinton has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac," meaning "son of," and "Gille Crìosd," meaning "servant of Christ." The name likely originated from an ancestor who was a devoted servant of the Christian faith.
During the Middle Ages, the name McClinton appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners and nobility who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John McClinton, a landowner in Ayrshire, Scotland, who lived in the late 14th century.
The surname McClinton has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 16th century, Sir William McClinton (1495-1560) was a Scottish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Anglo-Scottish Wars. He was knighted for his bravery and loyalty to the Scottish crown.
In the 18th century, James McClinton (1720-1795) was a prominent Scottish merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Glasgow. He established the McClinton Charity School, which provided education to underprivileged children.
During the American Civil War, Robert McClinton (1835-1913) was a Union Army officer who served with distinction in several major battles, including Gettysburg and Antietam. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery and leadership.
In the literary world, William McClinton (1867-1932) was a Scottish poet and author known for his works celebrating the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and its people. His most famous collection, "Songs of the Heather," was widely acclaimed and helped preserve Scotland's rich cultural heritage.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth McClinton (1892-1978), a pioneering American woman who became one of the first female pilots in the United States. She was a skilled aviator and barnstormer, performing daring aerial stunts and promoting the advancement of women in aviation.
The surname McClinton has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout Scotland, such as McClinton Castle in Ayrshire, which dates back to the 15th century and was once the seat of the McClinton clan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcclinton
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclinton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcclinton 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 Mcclinton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American69.5% · 4,001
- White20.5% · 1,181
- Two or more races5.8% · 332
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 201
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcclinton
Mcclinton 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
#5,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,816
+448 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Down 23 places
2020
#5,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,759
-57 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.93
Rank movement Up 133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,902 | 5,368 | 1.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,925 | 5,816 | 1.97 | +448 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 23 places |
| 2020 | #5,792 | 5,759 | 1.93 | -57 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 133 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 Mcclinton 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 | #5,925 | #5,792 | 2.2% |
| Count | 5,816 | 5,759 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.97 | 1.93 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcclinton bearers went from 5,816 to 5,759 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,925 to #5,792.
FAQ
Mcclinton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcclinton?
Name Census estimates that about 6,604 living Americans carry the surname Mcclinton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,901 residents.
How common is Mcclinton?
Mcclinton ranks #5,792 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,759 people with the surname Mcclinton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mcclinton.
Has Mcclinton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcclinton went from 5,816 recorded bearers to 5,759. That is a decrease of 57 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,925 to #5,792.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcclinton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclinton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.5%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcclinton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.5% (4,001 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcclinton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (69.5%), White (20.5%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Mcclinton (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 Mcclinton mean?
A Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of Glennon," a Gaelic name derived from the word "gleann" meaning "valley." 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 Mcclinton (1.93 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 Mcclinton?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Mcclinton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.