2000
#3,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,315
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.45
Uncommon Last name
Mccune
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eoghain," meaning "son of Eoghain" (a personal name of unknown meaning).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,678 Americans carry the last name Mccune. That puts it at #3,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,099 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccune 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mccune with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,099
Census rank
#3,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.3K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,312 bearers of the surname Mccune in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccune, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccune
The surname McCune has its origins in Scotland, with records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic Mac Cuinn, meaning "son of Conn." Conn was a personal name that held significance in ancient Irish and Scottish history, often associated with kings and warriors.
The earliest recorded instances of the McCune surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls submitted to King Edward I of England. These rolls documented Scottish landowners and prominent individuals who swore allegiance to the English king during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
During the Middle Ages, the McCune family was predominantly concentrated in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, located in the western central lowlands of Scotland. The name is closely linked to the historic parish of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, where a branch of the McCune clan is believed to have originated.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the McCune surname was Robert McCune, a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland from 1571 to 1589. Another prominent individual was John McCune, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived in the late 17th century and was known for his role in the Covenanters' struggle for religious freedom.
In the 18th century, the McCune name gained recognition through individuals like Archibald McCune, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived from 1707 to 1785. He was known for his extensive business ventures and acquisition of significant landholdings in the Ayrshire region.
As the McCune family spread throughout the centuries, various spelling variations emerged, including McCoon, McCoune, and McQuin. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the phonetic interpretation of the name by scribes and record-keepers.
One notable figure from the 19th century was John McCune Smith, an African-American physician, abolitionist, and educator who lived from 1823 to 1863. He played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of African Americans and was the first African American to hold a medical degree and obtain a professorship at a university in the United States.
Another significant individual with the McCune surname was George McCune, an American Presbyterian missionary who lived from 1808 to 1835. He was one of the first American missionaries to establish a Christian presence in Siam (now Thailand) and made significant contributions to the translation of religious texts into the Thai language.
The McCune surname has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with connections to influential figures spanning various fields, including religion, commerce, and social activism. While the name's origins can be traced back to the 12th century, its legacy continues to endure across generations and geographical boundaries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccune
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccune, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccune 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 Mccune surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 7,900
- Black or African American7.3% · 678
- Two or more races3.7% · 341
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 282
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccune
Mccune 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
#3,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,549
+234 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.24
Rank movement Down 207 places
2020
#3,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,312
-237 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.12
Rank movement Up 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,508 | 9,315 | 3.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,715 | 9,549 | 3.24 | +234 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 207 places |
| 2020 | #3,712 | 9,312 | 3.12 | -237 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 3 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 Mccune 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 | #3,715 | #3,712 | 0.1% |
| Count | 9,549 | 9,312 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.24 | 3.12 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccune bearers went from 9,549 to 9,312 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,715 to #3,712.
FAQ
Mccune surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccune?
Name Census estimates that about 10,678 living Americans carry the surname Mccune. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,099 residents.
How common is Mccune?
Mccune ranks #3,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,312 people with the surname Mccune. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,678), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mccune.
Has Mccune become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccune went from 9,549 recorded bearers to 9,312. That is a decrease of 237 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,715 to #3,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccune?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccune, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (7.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mccune in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (7,900 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccune appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (7.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mccune (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 Mccune mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eoghain," meaning "son of Eoghain" (a personal name of unknown meaning). 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 Mccune (3.12 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 are called Mccune?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Mccune at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.