2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcelman
A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "tonsured servant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Mcelman. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcelman 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Mcelman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcelman
The surname MCELMAN has its origins in Scotland, with records indicating that it first appeared in the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Gaelic term "mac Ealamain," which translates to "son of Ealaman." Ealaman was a personal name that likely stems from the Old Norse word "jölumaðr," meaning "a man of Yule" or "a person associated with the winter solstice celebrations."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the MCELMAN name can be found in the Aberdeen Council Register from 1548, where a John McElman is listed as a resident of the city. This suggests that the name was already established in the northeast of Scotland during the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, the MCELMAN surname appears in various records across the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Inverness-shire and Ross-shire. This indicates that the name had spread from its likely origins in the northeast to other parts of the country.
A notable bearer of the MCELMAN name was James McElman (1634-1712), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who served as the minister of Borthwick in Midlothian from 1665 until his death. He was known for his strong opposition to the religious policies of the Stuart monarchs and was briefly imprisoned for his beliefs.
During the 18th century, the MCELMAN surname can be found in various parish records and legal documents throughout Scotland. One example is Alexander McElman (1726-1798), a merchant and landowner from Aberdeenshire who played a role in the development of the local wool trade.
In the 19th century, the MCELMAN name began to appear in records outside of Scotland as families emigrated to other parts of the British Empire and beyond. One notable figure was William McElman (1832-1904), an Australian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Western Australia and was instrumental in the establishment of the Perth Mint.
Another prominent bearer of the MCELMAN name was Robert McElman (1874-1956), a Canadian journalist and writer who worked for several major newspapers and authored several books on Canadian history and culture.
As the MCELMAN surname spread across the globe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as McElmon, McIlman, and McIlmon, reflecting the regional pronunciations and interpretations of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcelman
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcelman 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 Mcelman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcelman
Mcelman 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,358 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,616 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,358 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,616 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 Mcelman 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 | #144,141 | #145,757 | -1.1% |
| Count | 115 | 115 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcelman bearers went from 115 to 115 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,616 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #145,757.
FAQ
Mcelman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcelman?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Mcelman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Mcelman?
Mcelman ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Mcelman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Mcelman.
Has Mcelman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcelman went from 115 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcelman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Mcelman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcelman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Mcelman (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 Mcelman mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "tonsured servant." 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 Mcelman (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 people have the last name Mcelman?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Mcelman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.