2000
#3,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,185
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.40
Uncommon Last name
Mcclung
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Fhlaithim," meaning "son of Flahavan," a personal name meaning "red ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,285 Americans carry the last name Mcclung. That puts it at #3,852 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,326 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcclung 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 Mcclung with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,326
Census rank
#3,852
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,969 bearers of the surname Mcclung in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3852nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclung, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcclung
The surname McClung has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Gille Cholum," which translates to "son of the servant of St. Columba." This suggests that the name may have been adopted by those who served in religious institutions dedicated to St. Columba, a famous Irish missionary and evangelist who established monasteries in Scotland.
The earliest known record of the McClung name dates back to 1597, when John McClung was listed in the register of the parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire. This region of southwestern Scotland is considered the ancestral homeland of the McClung clan, with many early records indicating their presence in the areas around Ayrshire and Renfrewshire.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as McClunng, McGlung, and McGlunc, reflecting the phonetic nature of Scottish surnames. One notable figure from this period was James McClung, a Scottish clergyman born in 1640, who served as the minister of Borthwick Parish in Midlothian.
During the 18th century, the McClung name began to spread beyond Scotland as some members of the clan emigrated to other parts of the British Isles and the American colonies. One prominent individual was John McClung, born in 1693 in Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He later settled in Augusta County, Virginia, and became a prominent figure in the early colonial history of the region.
Another notable McClung was James McClungs, born in 1746 in Argyllshire, Scotland. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the American Revolutionary War and played a crucial role in the Battle of King's Mountain, a significant victory for the Patriots against the British forces.
In the 19th century, the McClung name continued to be associated with various fields, including literature and education. One such figure was Virginia McClung, an American author and educator born in 1840 in Virginia. She was a prominent advocate for women's education and authored several books on the subject.
Throughout its history, the McClung surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of Scottish heritage and its global diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcclung
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclung, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcclung 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 Mcclung surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 7,673
- Black or African American5.8% · 523
- Two or more races4.4% · 396
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 268
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcclung
Mcclung 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
#3,746
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,456
+271 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 3.21
Rank movement Down 195 places
2020
#3,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,969
-487 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,551 | 9,185 | 3.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,746 | 9,456 | 3.21 | +271 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 195 places |
| 2020 | #3,852 | 8,969 | 3.00 | -487 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 106 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 Mcclung 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 | #3,746 | #3,852 | -2.8% |
| Count | 9,456 | 8,969 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.21 | 3.00 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcclung bearers went from 9,456 to 8,969 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,746 to #3,852.
FAQ
Mcclung surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcclung?
Name Census estimates that about 10,285 living Americans carry the surname Mcclung. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,326 residents.
How common is Mcclung?
Mcclung ranks #3,852 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,969 people with the surname Mcclung. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,285), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mcclung.
Has Mcclung become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcclung went from 9,456 recorded bearers to 8,969. That is a decrease of 487 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,746 to #3,852.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcclung?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcclung, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Mcclung in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (7,673 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcclung appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Mcclung (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 Mcclung mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Fhlaithim," meaning "son of Flahavan," a personal name meaning "red ruler." 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 Mcclung (3.00 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 Mcclung?
See how many people are called Mcclung on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.