2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcerlain
Anglicized form of an Irish Gaelic surname meaning "servant or devotee of St. Erlain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Mcerlain. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcerlain 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 Mcerlain with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Mcerlain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcerlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcerlain
The surname MCERLAIN is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Erlain," which is believed to be a personal name of unknown meaning. The name is thought to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCERLAIN name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where a certain "Gillecrist MacErlain" is mentioned as a landholder in the Isle of Mull. This suggests that the MCERLAIN family had established a presence in the Hebrides by that time.
In the 16th century, the MCERLAIN name appeared in the records of the Clan Donald, one of the most powerful clans in the Scottish Highlands. A notable figure from this period was Angus MCERLAIN, who was a prominent warrior and supporter of the Lord of the Isles during the clan's conflicts with the Scottish Crown.
The MCERLAIN name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, particularly in the region of Argyll. For instance, the village of Kilmerlain (sometimes spelled Kilmarlain) is believed to have derived its name from the MCERLAIN clan or their ancestors.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the MCERLAIN surname. One of the earliest was John MCERLAIN (c. 1530-1595), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland during the latter part of the 16th century. Another prominent figure was Archibald MCERLAIN (1675-1734), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of Glasgow's trade and commerce in the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, James MCERLAIN (1819-1891) was a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. Additionally, Thomas MCERLAIN (1846-1927) was a Scottish-American inventor and entrepreneur who patented several important innovations in the field of telephony and telecommunications.
One of the most famous bearers of the MCERLAIN name in modern times was the Scottish actor and comedian Billy MCERLAIN (1926-2003), who gained widespread recognition for his work in television and film, particularly for his role in the BBC comedy series "Scotch and Wry."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcerlain
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcerlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcerlain 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 Mcerlain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 101
- Two or more races9.5% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcerlain
Mcerlain 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
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,522 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 14,522 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 887 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 Mcerlain 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 | #145,028 | -0.6% |
| Count | 115 | 116 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcerlain bearers went from 115 to 116 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 887 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #145,028.
FAQ
Mcerlain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcerlain?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Mcerlain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Mcerlain?
Mcerlain ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Mcerlain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Mcerlain.
Has Mcerlain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcerlain went from 115 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcerlain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcerlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.5%) and Hispanic (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 Mcerlain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcerlain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Two or More Races (9.5%), Hispanic (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 Mcerlain (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 Mcerlain mean?
Anglicized form of an Irish Gaelic surname meaning "servant or devotee of St. Erlain." 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 Mcerlain (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 common is the surname Mcerlain?
See how many people have the surname Mcerlain on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.