2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcconniel
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "mac Cuinnligh" meaning "son of the comely or attractive one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Mcconniel. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcconniel 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Mcconniel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcconniel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcconniel
The surname McConniel is of Scottish origin and is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Connel" or "Conniel," which were personal names. It is likely that the surname was initially given as a patronymic, identifying individuals as the "son of Connel" or "son of Conniel."
McConniel is a variant spelling of the more common Scottish surname McConnell, which has a similar derivation. The earliest known records of the name date back to the 13th century in parts of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, where it was closely associated with the Clan Donald, one of the largest Scottish clans.
In the late 14th century, a notable figure named Duncan McConniel was recorded as a vassal of the Lord of the Isles, indicating the name's presence among the nobility of the time. Another early mention of the surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John McConniel, who was born in Ayrshire around 1520. He was a prominent supporter of the Protestant Reformation in Scotland and played a role in the spread of reformed teachings in the region.
In the 17th century, the McConniels were involved in the Covenanting movement, which sought to uphold Presbyterian values in Scotland. Several members of the family, including William McConniel (1610-1678) and his son Robert McConniel (1640-1702), were signatories of the National Covenant of 1638, a crucial document in the struggle for religious and civil liberties.
Another notable figure was Alexander McConniel (1760-1834), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist from Renfrewshire. He made a significant fortune in the textile industry and used his wealth to support various charitable causes, including the establishment of schools and hospitals in his local community.
Throughout the centuries, the McConniel surname has been subject to various spelling variations, such as McConnel, McConel, and McConill, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spelling in earlier times. Despite these variations, the name has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish roots and continues to be associated with the historical regions where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcconniel
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcconniel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcconniel 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 Mcconniel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcconniel
Mcconniel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-20 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,428 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 17,428 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 Mcconniel 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 | #137,327 | #154,755 | -12.7% |
| Count | 122 | 102 | -16.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcconniel bearers went from 122 to 102 (-16.4% change). The surname moved down 17,428 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #154,755.
FAQ
Mcconniel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcconniel?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Mcconniel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Mcconniel?
Mcconniel ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Mcconniel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Mcconniel.
Has Mcconniel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcconniel went from 122 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcconniel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcconniel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Mcconniel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcconniel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Mcconniel (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 Mcconniel mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "mac Cuinnligh" meaning "son of the comely or attractive one". 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 Mcconniel (0.03 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 share the surname Mcconniel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.