2000
#9,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,996
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Mcdavid
A patronymic surname meaning "son of David," derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhaibhidh" or "Mac Dhaibheid."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,452 Americans carry the last name Mcdavid. That puts it at #10,191 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,292 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcdavid 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 Mcdavid with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 99,292
Census rank
#10,191
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,010 bearers of the surname Mcdavid in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10191st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdavid, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcdavid
The surname McDavid is of Scottish origin, originating in the Highlands region of Scotland. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the given name David combined with the prefix 'Mc' or 'Mac', which means 'son of' in Gaelic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, dated 1546, which mentions a 'Johnne McDavid'. This suggests that the surname was already well-established in Scotland by the mid-16th century.
The name McDavid is thought to have originated in the area around Loch Lomond, where the clan Davidson, from which the name likely derives, had strong historical ties. The name may also be related to the place name Davidston, a small village in Ayrshire, Scotland.
In the 17th century, the McDavid surname appears in various Scottish records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1691, which list several McDavid families in the counties of Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire.
One notable figure in Scottish history was Sir John McDavid, a prominent lawyer and politician who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1677 to 1688. He played a significant role in the political and legal affairs of the country during the turbulent period of the Glorious Revolution.
Another individual of note was William McDavid (1763-1841), a Scottish poet and writer who was born in Inveraray, Argyll. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Peasant's Lyre," which celebrated the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and the lives of its rural inhabitants.
In the 19th century, the McDavid surname spread beyond Scotland as families emigrated to other parts of the British Empire and the United States. One such individual was Alexander McDavid (1835-1915), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament for the riding of Winnipeg from 1887 to 1896.
Another notable figure was John McDavid (1870-1938), an Australian cricketer who played for the Australian national team in the late 19th century. He was a talented all-rounder and is remembered for his outstanding performances against England in the 1894-95 Ashes series.
In the 20th century, the McDavid surname continued to be represented in various fields. One example is Jack McDavid (1912-1995), an American football player who was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1930s and later became a successful businessman and philanthropist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcdavid
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdavid, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcdavid 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 Mcdavid surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.9% · 2,133
- Black or African American21.5% · 646
- Two or more races4.1% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcdavid
Mcdavid 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
#10,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,092
+96 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 479 places
2020
#10,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,010
-82 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,934 | 2,996 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,413 | 3,092 | 1.05 | +96 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 479 places |
| 2020 | #10,191 | 3,010 | 1.01 | -82 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 222 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 Mcdavid 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 | #10,413 | #10,191 | 2.1% |
| Count | 3,092 | 3,010 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 1.01 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcdavid bearers went from 3,092 to 3,010 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 222 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,413 to #10,191.
FAQ
Mcdavid surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcdavid?
Name Census estimates that about 3,452 living Americans carry the surname Mcdavid. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,292 residents.
How common is Mcdavid?
Mcdavid ranks #10,191 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,010 people with the surname Mcdavid. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,452), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcdavid.
Has Mcdavid become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcdavid went from 3,092 recorded bearers to 3,010. That is a decrease of 82 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,413 to #10,191.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcdavid?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdavid, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Mcdavid in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.9% (2,133 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcdavid appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.9%), Black (21.5%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Mcdavid (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 Mcdavid mean?
A patronymic surname meaning "son of David," derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhaibhidh" or "Mac Dhaibheid." 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 Mcdavid (1.01 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 have the surname Mcdavid?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.