2000
#92,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Mccluggage
A Scottish surname derived from a Scottish Gaelic expression meaning "son of the cleric".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 182 Americans carry the last name Mccluggage. That puts it at #116,252 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,883,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccluggage 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
182
1 in 1,883,266
Census rank
#116,252
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
159
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 159 bearers of the surname Mccluggage in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 116252nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccluggage, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccluggage
The surname McCluggage has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic phrase "mac a' chlugaidh," meaning "son of the bell-ringer" or "son of the bell-maker." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in the trade of bell-making or were employed as bell-ringers in churches or other religious institutions.
The name first appeared in records from the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. It is thought to have evolved from the earlier spelling variations, such as "MacCluggich" and "MacCluggadge," which were more closely aligned with the original Gaelic pronunciation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCluggage name can be found in the Pont Manuscript Maps of Scotland, compiled between 1583 and 1596 by Timothy Pont. This collection of regional maps includes references to several place names that share similarities with the surname, such as "Cluggage" and "Cluggadge."
In the 17th century, the McCluggage name appeared in several historical documents, including the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland. In 1625, a certain John McCluggage was mentioned as a witness in a court case involving a dispute over land ownership in the parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire.
Notable individuals bearing the McCluggage surname include:
1. Robert McCluggage (1780-1856), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who emigrated to Canada in the early 19th century and became a prominent figure in the development of the city of Hamilton, Ontario.
2. Elizabeth McCluggage (1848-1924), a suffragette and activist from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who campaigned tirelessly for women's rights and was a founding member of the Irish Women's Franchise League.
3. Andrew McCluggage (1865-1941), a Scottish-born engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of early steam locomotive technology and held several patents related to locomotive design.
4. Isobel McCluggage (1901-1978), an American journalist and author, best known for her travel writing and her coverage of World War II as a war correspondent.
5. Mary McCluggage (1923-2015), an Irish-born artist and painter, celebrated for her vibrant landscapes and portraiture, whose work is held in numerous public and private collections throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
While the McCluggage name may not be as widespread as some other Scottish surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the cultural traditions and occupations of its earliest bearers, who left their mark across various parts of the British Isles and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccluggage
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccluggage, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccluggage 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 Mccluggage surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 152
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.3% · 2
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccluggage
Mccluggage 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
#100,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 180
-4 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 7,701 places
2020
#116,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
-21 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 15,950 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #92,601 | 184 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #100,302 | 180 | 0.06 | -4 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 7,701 places |
| 2020 | #116,252 | 159 | 0.05 | -21 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 15,950 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 Mccluggage 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 | #100,302 | #116,252 | -15.9% |
| Count | 180 | 159 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccluggage bearers went from 180 to 159 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 15,950 positions in the national ranking, going from #100,302 to #116,252.
FAQ
Mccluggage surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccluggage?
Name Census estimates that about 182 living Americans carry the surname Mccluggage. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,883,266 residents.
How common is Mccluggage?
Mccluggage ranks #116,252 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 159 people with the surname Mccluggage. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Mccluggage.
Has Mccluggage become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccluggage went from 180 recorded bearers to 159. That is a decrease of 21 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #100,302 to #116,252.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccluggage?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccluggage, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Mccluggage in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (152 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccluggage appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Hispanic (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Mccluggage (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 Mccluggage mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a Scottish Gaelic expression meaning "son of the cleric". 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 Mccluggage (0.05 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 are called Mccluggage?
You can see how many people have the surname Mccluggage on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.