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

McCrimmon, 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 McCrimmon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCrimmon in America

McCrimmon is the 15931st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCrimmon surname appeared 1,824 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McCrimmon.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCrimmon 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 McCrimmon

The surname McCrimmon is of Scottish origin, originating from the Highlands region of Scotland in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Crimthann," an old Celtic personal name meaning "fox" or "wild animal."

The McCrimmons were a prominent family in the clan MacLeod, and the name is closely associated with their role as hereditary pipers to the chiefs of the clan. The earliest recorded mention of the name is in the 16th century, when a piper named Iain Dubh McCrimmon is mentioned in the Book of the Dean of Lismore, an important collection of Gaelic poetry from the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

In the 17th century, the McCrimmons established a famous piping college on the island of Skye, where they taught the traditional music and skills of piping to generations of students. The college was known as the "College of Piping" or "Colaisde na Pìobaireachd" and was influential in preserving and promoting the traditional piping culture of the Highlands.

One of the most famous McCrimmons was Donald Mor McCrimmon (c. 1570-1640), who is considered one of the greatest pipers of all time and is credited with composing many iconic piobaireachd (classical bagpipe music) tunes. Another notable McCrimmon was Donald Ban McCrimmon (c. 1640-1700), who served as a piper to the chief of the MacLeods and is said to have composed several piobaireachd tunes himself.

The name McCrimmon is also associated with the Battle of Culloden in 1746, which marked the end of the Jacobite Rising and the defeat of the Highland clans. Several McCrimmons are said to have fought and died in this battle, including Patrick Mor McCrimmon, who was the last hereditary piper to the MacLeod clan.

Other notable McCrimmons throughout history include Donald Roy McCrimmon (1770-1825), a renowned piper and composer of piobaireachd, and Donald McCrimmon (1909-1964), a Canadian piper and military officer who served in World War II and was instrumental in preserving and promoting piping in Canada.

While the McCrimmon name is most closely associated with the Highland piping tradition, it has also been carried by individuals in various other fields and locations over the centuries. However, its rich heritage and significance in Scottish culture, particularly in the art of piping, remain central to the name's history and legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCrimmon

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

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

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

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