Find out how popular the last name McComas is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McComas.

McComas, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McComas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McComas in America

McComas is the 6973rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McComas surname appeared 4,812 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McComas.

We can also compare 2010 data for McComas to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McComas

The surname McComas is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the 12th century in the Highlands region. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Thomaidh," meaning "son of Thomas." The name was initially spelled in various ways, including MacCombie, MacCombich, and MacComish, reflecting the diverse dialects of the Scottish clans.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls submitted to King Edward I of England. This document lists a certain "Gillecrist MacCombych" from Lanarkshire, suggesting the name's presence in the region during that time.

In the 16th century, the McComas family held lands in Argyllshire, particularly in the area of Glenshira. Records indicate that a John McComas served as a chamberlain to the Earl of Argyll in the late 1500s, highlighting the family's position and influence in the region.

During the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, many McComas families faced religious persecution and were forced to flee to Ulster, Ireland. This migration contributed to the spread of the surname throughout Ireland and, later, to the American colonies.

One notable figure bearing the McComas name was John McComas (1693-1777), an Irish immigrant to Pennsylvania who played a significant role in the early settlement of the Shenandoah Valley. He established a homestead in what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia, and his descendants continued to populate the region.

Another prominent McComas was William McComas (1828-1892), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. Born in Ohio, he achieved the rank of brevet brigadier general and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Stones River in 1862.

In the literary realm, Louis Emmett McComas (1890-1958), an American writer and critic, made significant contributions to the science fiction genre. He co-founded the influential science fiction magazine "Amazing Stories" and served as its editor from 1926 to 1928.

The McComas name also has ties to academia, with James Milnor McComas (1850-1923), an American educator and author. He served as the president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech) from 1891 to 1907, leaving a lasting impact on the institution's growth and development.

Finally, John McComas (1887-1965), a Scottish-born American actor, had a successful career on stage and screen. He appeared in numerous Broadway productions and Hollywood films, including notable roles in "The Sea Hawk" (1940) and "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1942).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McComas

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McComas.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McComas was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McComas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McComas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McComas, please contact us.

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