2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcelgunn
A Scottish surname meaning "Servant of the pale one" or "servant of the bright-haired one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Mcelgunn. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcelgunn 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Mcelgunn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelgunn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcelgunn
The surname MCELGUNN is of Scottish origin, rooted in the Gaelic language and culture of the Highlands. It is believed to have originated in the 13th or 14th century in the region of Argyll, which was once a powerful kingdom within the Scottish realm. The name MCELGUNN is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Elgunn, which itself is a diminutive form of the Gaelic name Gille Oin, meaning "servant of the lamb."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCELGUNN name can be found in the ancient manuscript known as the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage pledges made to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century. The MCELGUNN name appears in this document, indicating that members of this family held lands in Scotland at that time.
The MCELGUNN name is closely associated with the Isle of Islay, an island off the western coast of Scotland that was once a stronghold of the Clan Donald, one of the most powerful clans in the Highlands. It is believed that the MCELGUNN family may have been a branch or sept of the Clan Donald, serving as retainers or vassals to the clan chiefs.
In the 16th century, Duncan MCELGUNN was a notable figure from the Isle of Islay, serving as a baillie (a local official) and representing the interests of the island's inhabitants. Another prominent MCELGUNN was Lachlan MCELGUNN, who lived in the 17th century and was a renowned poet and bard, renowned for his compositions in Gaelic.
During the 18th century, the MCELGUNN name was also found in the nearby islands of Jura and Colonsay, suggesting that the family had spread throughout the Inner Hebrides. One notable individual from this period was Angus MCELGUNN, a farmer and crofter from the Isle of Jura, who was known for his expertise in traditional agricultural practices.
In more recent times, the MCELGUNN surname has been carried by several notable individuals, including the Scottish artist and sculptor Alexander MCELGUNN (1876-1954), whose works are held in collections throughout the United Kingdom. Another significant figure was Iain MCELGUNN (1927-2005), a respected writer and journalist who wrote extensively on Scottish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcelgunn
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelgunn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcelgunn 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 Mcelgunn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 9
- Two or more races5.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcelgunn
Mcelgunn 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-12 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,901 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 11,901 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 Mcelgunn 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 | #138,304 | #150,205 | -8.6% |
| Count | 121 | 109 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcelgunn bearers went from 121 to 109 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 11,901 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #150,205.
FAQ
Mcelgunn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcelgunn?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Mcelgunn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Mcelgunn?
Mcelgunn ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Mcelgunn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Mcelgunn.
Has Mcelgunn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcelgunn went from 121 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcelgunn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelgunn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Mcelgunn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcelgunn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Hispanic (8.3%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Mcelgunn (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 Mcelgunn mean?
A Scottish surname meaning "Servant of the pale one" or "servant of the bright-haired 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 Mcelgunn (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 common is the surname Mcelgunn?
See how many people are called Mcelgunn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.