2000
#11,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,432
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Mcewan
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacEoghain," meaning "son of Eoghan" (Eoghan being a personal name meaning "born of the yew tree").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,051 Americans carry the last name Mcewan. That puts it at #11,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,342 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcewan 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 Mcewan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 112,342
Census rank
#11,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,661 bearers of the surname Mcewan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewan, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcewan
The surname McEwan has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the medieval era. It is a variant of the Gaelic name 'Mac-Iain,' meaning 'son of Ian' or 'son of John.' The prefix 'Mac' denotes a patronymic name, indicating the surname's lineage from a particular ancestor.
The McEwan name is closely associated with the Scottish Highlands, particularly in areas such as Argyll and the Western Isles. It is believed to have emerged as a distinct surname in the 13th or 14th century, as the use of hereditary surnames became more prevalent in Scotland.
One of the earliest known references to the McEwan surname can be found in the 'Ragman Rolls' of 1296, a series of documents recording the swearing of fealty to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. This historical record includes the name 'Gillemor McEwan,' indicating the presence of the McEwan family during that period.
In the 16th century, the McEwan surname appeared in various records related to the Clan MacDonald, suggesting a connection between the two families. The 'Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland' from 1616 mentions a 'Donald McEwan,' who was a prominent figure within the clan.
One of the most notable individuals bearing the McEwan surname was Sir John McEwan (1652-1724), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Merchants' Company in Edinburgh, which aimed to support widows and children of deceased merchants.
Another notable figure was Reverend William McEwan (1736-1819), a Scottish minister and author. He published several works, including 'The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded' and 'The Revelation of St. John the Divine Explained.'
In the literary world, Ian McEwan (born 1948) is a renowned British novelist and screenwriter. He has won numerous prestigious awards, including the Man Booker Prize for his novel 'Amsterdam' in 1998. Some of his other notable works include 'Atonement,' 'On Chesil Beach,' and 'Nutshell.'
William McEwan (1827-1913) was a Scottish brewer and entrepreneur who founded the McEwan's Brewery in Edinburgh. The brewery became one of the largest in Scotland and played a significant role in the city's brewing industry during the 19th century.
Finally, Mary McEwan (1865-1915) was a Scottish educator and campaigner for women's rights. She founded the Scottish Association of Teachers of Domestic Subjects and played a crucial role in advocating for the inclusion of domestic science education in Scottish schools.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcewan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewan, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcewan 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 Mcewan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 2,180
- Black or African American9.8% · 260
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 127
- Two or more races2.8% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcewan
Mcewan 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
#11,804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,652
+220 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 9 places
2020
#11,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,661
+9 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 470 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,795 | 2,432 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,804 | 2,652 | 0.90 | +220 bearers (+9.0%) | Down 9 places |
| 2020 | #11,334 | 2,661 | 0.89 | +9 bearers (+0.3%) | Up 470 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 Mcewan 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 | #11,804 | #11,334 | 4.0% |
| Count | 2,652 | 2,661 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.89 | -1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcewan bearers went from 2,652 to 2,661 (+0.3% change). The surname moved up 470 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,804 to #11,334.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcewan
FAQ
Mcewan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcewan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,051 living Americans carry the surname Mcewan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,342 residents.
How common is Mcewan?
Mcewan ranks #11,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,661 people with the surname Mcewan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Mcewan.
Has Mcewan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcewan went from 2,652 recorded bearers to 2,661. That is an increase of 9 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,804 to #11,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcewan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewan, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Mcewan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (2,180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcewan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (9.8%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Mcewan (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 Mcewan mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacEoghain," meaning "son of Eoghan" (Eoghan being a personal name meaning "born of the yew tree"). 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 Mcewan (0.89 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 are called Mcewan?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Mcewan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.