2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcdearman
An Irish surname derived from Mac Dearmada, meaning "son of the freeman" or "son of the patriarch".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Mcdearman. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcdearman 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Mcdearman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdearman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcdearman
The surname McDearman has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. It is a variant of the more common Scottish surname MacDiarmid, which is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Diarmaid," meaning "free man" or "free from envy." The prefix "mac" in Scottish surnames indicates "son of," so the original form of the name would have been "son of Diarmaid."
The McDearman surname is believed to have first emerged in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland. In the late 16th century, a record of a land grant in Islay mentions a "John McDermand." This is likely one of the earliest documented instances of the name, although with a slightly different spelling.
In the 17th century, the surname began to appear in various spellings, such as McDermand, McDermott, and McDearmont, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. One notable early bearer of the name was Archibald McDearmon, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Battle of Dunbar in 1650 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
By the 18th century, the McDearman spelling had become more established. In 1743, a record from the parish of Kilcalmonell in Argyll mentions a "Donald McDearman," indicating the surname's continued presence in the region. Another notable figure from this period was John McDearman, a Scottish merchant and ship owner who lived in the late 18th century and was involved in the transatlantic trade.
As the McDearman family spread throughout Scotland and beyond, the surname continued to evolve and adapt to different regional dialects and spelling conventions. In the 19th century, records show McDearman families living in various parts of Scotland, including Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and the Highlands.
One notable bearer of the name during this period was William McDearman, a Scottish clergyman and author born in 1818. He published several works on theology and served as a minister in various parishes throughout his life. Another prominent figure was James McDearman, a Scottish engineer born in 1832, who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery.
Throughout the centuries, the McDearman surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, tradesmen, soldiers, and professionals. While not as numerous as some other Scottish surnames, it has left its mark on the history and culture of Scotland and has been carried by many notable individuals over the years.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcdearman
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdearman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcdearman 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 Mcdearman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Black or African American4.4% · 5
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcdearman
Mcdearman 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,404 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,404 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,001 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 Mcdearman 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 | #145,220 | #147,221 | -1.4% |
| Count | 114 | 113 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcdearman bearers went from 114 to 113 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #147,221.
FAQ
Mcdearman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcdearman?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Mcdearman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Mcdearman?
Mcdearman ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Mcdearman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Mcdearman.
Has Mcdearman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcdearman went from 114 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcdearman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdearman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Mcdearman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcdearman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Black (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Mcdearman (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 Mcdearman mean?
An Irish surname derived from Mac Dearmada, meaning "son of the freeman" or "son of the patriarch". 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 Mcdearman (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Mcdearman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.