2000
#10,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,663
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Mcentee
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac an tSaoi," meaning "son of the scholar" or "son of the wise."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,855 Americans carry the last name Mcentee. That puts it at #11,985 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcentee 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcentee with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 120,054
Census rank
#11,985
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,490 bearers of the surname Mcentee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11985th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcentee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcentee
The surname MCENTEE has its roots in Ireland and dates back to the early 17th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac an tSíthigh," which means "son of the descendant of the fairy folk." This name originated in County Monaghan, where the name was first recorded as a variant of the more common Irish surname McEntee.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCENTEE surname can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth, a collection of official records from the 16th and 17th centuries. The name is mentioned in an entry from 1602, referring to a person named "Edmond McAntye" from County Monaghan.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the MCENTEE surname was closely associated with the Monaghan region, particularly in the areas around the towns of Carrickmacross and Castleblayney. Several prominent individuals bore this name during this period, including Patrick McEntee (1632-1718), a renowned Irish scholar and poet.
In the 19th century, the spelling of the surname began to diversify, with variations such as McAntee, McEntee, and McEntie appearing in various records. One notable figure from this era was John McEntee (1805-1864), an Irish-American painter who gained recognition for his landscape works depicting the Hudson River Valley.
As Irish immigrants settled in other parts of the world, the MCENTEE surname spread to various countries. In the United States, for instance, a prominent individual with this name was Jervis McEntee (1828-1891), an American painter and founder of the Hudson River School of landscape painting. His nephew, John McEntee (1854-1906), was a respected civil engineer and author.
Another notable figure was Richard McEntee (1837-1917), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Brooklyn from 1899 to 1917. His brother, John McEntee (1832-1903), was a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City.
The MCENTEE surname has a rich history rooted in Irish culture and tradition, with its origins tracing back to the Gaelic name "Mac an tSíthigh." While the name has evolved over the centuries and spread to various parts of the world, it remains a testament to the enduring legacy of Irish heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcentee
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcentee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcentee 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 Mcentee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 2,235
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 88
- Two or more races2.8% · 70
- Black or African American2.6% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcentee
Mcentee 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
#11,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,852
+189 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 154 places
2020
#11,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,490
-362 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 867 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,964 | 2,663 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,118 | 2,852 | 0.97 | +189 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 154 places |
| 2020 | #11,985 | 2,490 | 0.83 | -362 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 867 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 Mcentee 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 | #11,118 | #11,985 | -7.8% |
| Count | 2,852 | 2,490 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.83 | -14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcentee bearers went from 2,852 to 2,490 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 867 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,118 to #11,985.
FAQ
Mcentee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcentee?
Name Census estimates that about 2,855 living Americans carry the surname Mcentee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,054 residents.
How common is Mcentee?
Mcentee ranks #11,985 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,490 people with the surname Mcentee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,855), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Mcentee.
Has Mcentee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcentee went from 2,852 recorded bearers to 2,490. That is a decrease of 362 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,118 to #11,985.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcentee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcentee, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Mcentee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (2,235 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcentee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Mcentee (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 Mcentee mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac an tSaoi," meaning "son of the scholar" or "son of the wise." 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 Mcentee (0.83 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 Mcentee?
See how many people have the last name Mcentee on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.