2000
#9,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,003
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Mcelwain
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Eoin, meaning "son of the servant of John."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,382 Americans carry the last name Mcelwain. That puts it at #10,391 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,347 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcelwain 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
3.4K
1 in 101,347
Census rank
#10,391
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,949 bearers of the surname Mcelwain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10391st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelwain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcelwain
The surname McElwain is of Scottish origin, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland, specifically in the area around Argyll and the Hebrides.
The name is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gillamhuire" or "Gillemhuire," which means "servant of Mary." This name was commonly used among Scottish clans and families during the medieval period, reflecting the strong influence of Christianity in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McElwain can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from the late 13th century. In these rolls, the name appears as "Gillemoure," a variant spelling reflecting the Gaelic pronunciation.
In the 15th century, the name McElwain was associated with the powerful MacLean clan, who held lands in the Hebrides and neighboring regions. The clan's ancestral home was on the Isle of Mull, and several members of the clan bore the name McElwain or similar spellings.
One notable individual with the surname McElwain was Archibald McElwain (1550-1618), a Scottish scholar and theologian who served as a minister in the Church of Scotland. He was known for his writings on religious topics and his involvement in the Scottish Reformation.
Another prominent figure was Sir John McElwain (1620-1697), a Scottish military officer who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He was knighted for his service and later served as a member of the Scottish Parliament.
In the 18th century, the McElwain family established a presence in the Scottish Lowlands, where the name was often anglicized to "McIlvain" or "McElvain." One notable individual from this period was Robert McElwain (1732-1804), a merchant and landowner in Ayrshire.
As the Scottish diaspora spread across the world, the name McElwain was carried to various parts of the British Empire and beyond. In North America, several individuals bearing the name played significant roles in the early history of the United States and Canada.
One such individual was Samuel McElwain (1756-1832), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Ohio. Another was James McElwain (1789-1867), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.
While the spelling and pronunciation of the name may have evolved over time, the surname McElwain has maintained its Scottish heritage and connection to the Gaelic language and culture of Scotland's western highlands and islands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcelwain
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelwain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcelwain 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 Mcelwain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 2,618
- Two or more races3.7% · 108
- Black or African American3.4% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcelwain
Mcelwain 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
#10,487
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,060
+57 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 578 places
2020
#10,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,949
-111 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,909 | 3,003 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,487 | 3,060 | 1.04 | +57 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 578 places |
| 2020 | #10,391 | 2,949 | 0.99 | -111 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 96 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 Mcelwain 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 | #10,487 | #10,391 | 0.9% |
| Count | 3,060 | 2,949 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.99 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcelwain bearers went from 3,060 to 2,949 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,487 to #10,391.
FAQ
Mcelwain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcelwain?
Name Census estimates that about 3,382 living Americans carry the surname Mcelwain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,347 residents.
How common is Mcelwain?
Mcelwain ranks #10,391 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,949 people with the surname Mcelwain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,382), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Mcelwain.
Has Mcelwain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcelwain went from 3,060 recorded bearers to 2,949. That is a decrease of 111 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,487 to #10,391.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcelwain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcelwain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Black (3.4%). 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 Mcelwain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (2,618 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcelwain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Black (3.4%). 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 Mcelwain (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 Mcelwain mean?
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Giolla Eoin, meaning "son of the servant of John." 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 Mcelwain (0.99 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 surname Mcelwain?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.