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

McCombs, 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 McCombs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCombs in America

McCombs is the 3882nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCombs surname appeared 9,134 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname McCombs.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCombs 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 McCombs

The surname McCOMBS originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Mac Cumaigh" meaning "son of the crooked one." This name likely referred to an ancestor's physical appearance or stature.

The name is found in early Scottish records and charters, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296 which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One of the earliest recorded bearers was John McComby, a Scottish merchant who lived in Edinburgh in the late 14th century.

By the 16th century, the name had spread throughout Scotland and various spellings emerged such as McCoam, McComb, and McCombie. The McCOMBS spelling seems to have become more prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands and Borders region.

Historical references to the name include Alexander McComb, a Scottish soldier who fought for the Jacobite cause during the 1715 and 1745 rebellions. He was captured at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and later pardoned.

The name is also associated with several place names in Scotland such as McComb's Hill in Ayrshire and McComb's Burn, a stream near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. These places likely derived their names from early McCOMBS landowners or residents.

Notable bearers of the surname include John McCOMBS (1748-1812), an Irish-born American architect who designed several buildings in New York City including the Old St. Patrick's Cathedral. Another was Louisa McCOMBS (1857-1927), an American artist and illustrator known for her floral paintings and book illustrations.

Other prominent people include William McCOMBS (1793-1873), an Irish-born American businessman and politician who served as Secretary of State under President James K. Polk. Robert McCOMBS (1882-1944) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of parliament.

These examples illustrate the long history of the McCOMBS surname and its enduring presence across various regions and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCombs

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

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 McCombs 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 McCombs 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 McCombs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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