2000
#6,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,648
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.72
Rare Last name
Mccomas
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacThomáis," meaning "son of Thomas."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,249 Americans carry the last name Mccomas. That puts it at #7,062 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,299 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccomas 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
5.2K
1 in 65,299
Census rank
#7,062
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,577 bearers of the surname Mccomas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7062nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccomas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccomas
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccomas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccomas 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 Mccomas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 4,212
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 169
- Two or more races2.9% · 132
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
- Black or African American0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccomas
Mccomas 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
#6,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,812
+164 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Down 267 places
2020
#7,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,577
-235 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Down 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,706 | 4,648 | 1.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,973 | 4,812 | 1.63 | +164 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 267 places |
| 2020 | #7,062 | 4,577 | 1.53 | -235 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 89 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 Mccomas 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 | #6,973 | #7,062 | -1.3% |
| Count | 4,812 | 4,577 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.63 | 1.53 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccomas bearers went from 4,812 to 4,577 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,973 to #7,062.
FAQ
Mccomas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccomas?
Name Census estimates that about 5,249 living Americans carry the surname Mccomas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,299 residents.
How common is Mccomas?
Mccomas ranks #7,062 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.53 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 4,577 people with the surname Mccomas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,249), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.53 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 Mccomas.
Has Mccomas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccomas went from 4,812 recorded bearers to 4,577. That is a decrease of 235 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,973 to #7,062.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccomas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccomas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Mccomas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (4,212 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccomas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Mccomas (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 Mccomas mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacThomáis," meaning "son of Thomas." 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 Mccomas (1.53 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 Mccomas?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Mccomas is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.