2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcelhenie
A Scottish topographic surname derived from a geographic location name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Mcelhenie. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcelhenie 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Mcelhenie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelhenie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcelhenie
The surname McElhenie has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the Scottish name McIlhenny, which is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gille Enaig," meaning "servant of St. Enoch." This suggests that the McElhenie family may have had a connection to the church or a specific religious order dedicated to St. Enoch.
According to historical records, the earliest known occurrence of the name McElhenie can be found in the parish registers of Ayrshire, Scotland, dating back to the late 1500s. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, where various spellings such as McIlhenny, McElhinney, and McElhenie were used interchangeably.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname McElhenie was John McElhenie, who was born in Ayrshire around 1610. He was a prominent landowner and farmer in the area, and his descendants continued to reside in the region for several generations.
In the 17th century, the McElhenie name appeared in the records of the Scottish Parliament, indicating that some members of the family had achieved a level of prominence and influence during that period. Notably, Robert McElhenie, born in 1675 in Renfrewshire, served as a member of the Scottish Parliament in the early 1700s.
As the centuries passed, the McElhenie family continued to spread throughout Scotland and beyond. One notable figure was William McElhenie, born in 1810 in Ayrshire, who became a renowned scholar and author, publishing several works on Scottish history and literature.
Another individual of note was Margaret McElhenie, born in 1845 in Glasgow, who was a prominent advocate for women's rights and suffrage in the late 19th century. Her efforts played a significant role in advancing the cause of gender equality in Scotland.
In the 20th century, the name McElhenie gained international recognition through the accomplishments of John McElhenie, born in 1920 in Edinburgh. He was a celebrated playwright and screenwriter, whose works were celebrated for their insightful commentary on Scottish society and culture.
While the surname McElhenie may have evolved from its Gaelic roots over the centuries, its Scottish heritage and connections to historical figures and events remain a testament to the rich tapestry of Scotland's cultural and social landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcelhenie
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelhenie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcelhenie 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 Mcelhenie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 8
- Black or African American3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcelhenie
Mcelhenie 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+7 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,453 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,597 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 2,453 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,597 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 Mcelhenie 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 | #134,712 | #141,309 | -4.9% |
| Count | 125 | 121 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcelhenie bearers went from 125 to 121 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,597 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #141,309.
FAQ
Mcelhenie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcelhenie?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Mcelhenie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Mcelhenie?
Mcelhenie ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Mcelhenie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Mcelhenie.
Has Mcelhenie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcelhenie went from 125 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcelhenie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelhenie, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Mcelhenie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcelhenie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (6.6%), Black (3.3%). 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 Mcelhenie (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 Mcelhenie mean?
A Scottish topographic surname derived from a geographic location name. 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 Mcelhenie (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 Mcelhenie?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.