2000
#8,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,691
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Mcelhaney
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Sheanaigh," meaning "son of the servant of Seanach."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,227 Americans carry the last name Mcelhaney. That puts it at #8,566 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,087 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcelhaney 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
4.2K
1 in 81,087
Census rank
#8,566
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,686 bearers of the surname Mcelhaney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8566th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelhaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcelhaney
The surname MCELHANEY originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Gille Adhánáin, which means "servant of the Lord." The name was initially spelled in various forms, including MacIlheny, MacIlhenney, and MacElheneye.
One of the earliest recorded references to this surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Among those listed was Gillemichel McIlheny from Argyll.
During the 16th century, the MCELHANEY family was prominent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. Notable figures from this period include Donald McElheny (1530-1598), who was a prominent clergyman and served as the Bishop of Argyll.
As the MCELHANEY clan expanded, they established settlements in various parts of Scotland, leading to the emergence of place names such as McElhaney's Glen in Perthshire and McElhaney's Croft in Argyll.
In the 17th century, the MCELHANEY surname appeared in the records of the Scottish Parliament. One notable member was Sir Archibald McElhaney (1620-1690), who represented Argyll and played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, many MCELHANEY families immigrated to North America, particularly to the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this period was William McElhaney (1785-1861), a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Other notable individuals bearing the MCELHANEY surname include:
1. James McElhaney (1812-1887), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist from Ohio.
2. Margaret McElhaney (1860-1938), a Canadian author and women's rights activist.
3. David McElhaney (1901-1976), an American military officer who served in World War II and the Korean War.
4. John McElhaney (1915-2005), a Scottish-born Canadian physicist and academic.
5. Robert McElhaney (born 1952), an American actor and filmmaker known for his roles in television series and movies.
The MCELHANEY surname has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with branches spreading across various parts of the world. It has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including clergy, politicians, entrepreneurs, academics, and artists, contributing to the cultural tapestry of their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcelhaney
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelhaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcelhaney 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 Mcelhaney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.7% · 3,084
- Black or African American6.1% · 226
- Two or more races4.7% · 172
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 130
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcelhaney
Mcelhaney 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
#8,547
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,853
+162 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 290 places
2020
#8,566
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,686
-167 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,257 | 3,691 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,547 | 3,853 | 1.31 | +162 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 290 places |
| 2020 | #8,566 | 3,686 | 1.23 | -167 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 19 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 Mcelhaney 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 | #8,547 | #8,566 | -0.2% |
| Count | 3,853 | 3,686 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.23 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcelhaney bearers went from 3,853 to 3,686 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,547 to #8,566.
FAQ
Mcelhaney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcelhaney?
Name Census estimates that about 4,227 living Americans carry the surname Mcelhaney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,087 residents.
How common is Mcelhaney?
Mcelhaney ranks #8,566 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.23 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 3,686 people with the surname Mcelhaney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.23 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 Mcelhaney.
Has Mcelhaney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcelhaney went from 3,853 recorded bearers to 3,686. That is a decrease of 167 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,547 to #8,566.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcelhaney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelhaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Mcelhaney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (3,084 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcelhaney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.7%), Black (6.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Mcelhaney (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 Mcelhaney mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Sheanaigh," meaning "son of the servant of Seanach." 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 Mcelhaney (1.23 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 share the surname Mcelhaney?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.