2000
#4,422
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,420
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.75
Rare Last name
Mcewen
Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eoghain," meaning "son of Eoghan" (born of the yew tree).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,446 Americans carry the last name Mcewen. That puts it at #4,672 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,582 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcewen 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 Mcewen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.4K
1 in 40,582
Census rank
#4,672
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,365 bearers of the surname Mcewen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4672nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewen, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcewen
The surname McEwen has its origins in Scotland, specifically in the southwestern region of Galloway. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a variant of the name MacEwen or MacEwan, which derived from the Gaelic personal name Eóghan or Ewen, meaning "born of the yew tree."
The earliest recorded reference to the McEwen surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented a pledge of allegiance to King Edward I of England. One of the signatories was Gillemor McEwyn, a landowner from Wigtown, Scotland.
In the 16th century, the McEwens were prominent landowners and lairds in the parishes of Penninghame and Kirkcowan in Wigtownshire. Several members of the family were noted for their involvement in local disputes and feuds during this turbulent period in Scottish history.
One notable McEwen was Sir Patrick McEwen, who was knighted by King James VI of Scotland in 1590 for his services to the Crown. He played a significant role in suppressing the rebellion led by the Earl of Bothwell.
Another prominent figure was Reverend William McEwen, a minister in the Church of Scotland who lived from 1636 to 1713. He was a staunch Presbyterian and an influential figure in the Scottish Reformation.
In the 18th century, the McEwen surname spread beyond its traditional stronghold in Galloway as members of the clan migrated to other parts of Scotland and further afield to Ireland, England, and even North America.
A notable McEwen from this period was Archibald McEwen, a Scottish merchant and plantation owner who settled in Jamaica in the late 1700s. He amassed a considerable fortune through his involvement in the Caribbean sugar trade.
Towards the end of the 18th century, a branch of the McEwen family established itself in Argyllshire, on the west coast of Scotland. One of their descendants, John McEwen, born in 1833, became a prominent figure in the Scottish shipping industry, founding the McEwen Shipping Company in Glasgow.
While the McEwen surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread worldwide, with notable bearers from various countries and backgrounds. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide a glimpse into the origins and early development of this Scottish surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcewen
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewen, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcewen 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 Mcewen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.9% · 5,887
- Black or African American11.6% · 858
- Two or more races4.0% · 294
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 224
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 81
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcewen
Mcewen 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
#4,659
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,610
+190 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 2.58
Rank movement Down 237 places
2020
#4,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,365
-245 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 2.46
Rank movement Down 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,422 | 7,420 | 2.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,659 | 7,610 | 2.58 | +190 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 237 places |
| 2020 | #4,672 | 7,365 | 2.46 | -245 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 13 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 Mcewen 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 | #4,659 | #4,672 | -0.3% |
| Count | 7,610 | 7,365 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.58 | 2.46 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcewen bearers went from 7,610 to 7,365 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,659 to #4,672.
FAQ
Mcewen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcewen?
Name Census estimates that about 8,446 living Americans carry the surname Mcewen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,582 residents.
How common is Mcewen?
Mcewen ranks #4,672 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,365 people with the surname Mcewen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mcewen.
Has Mcewen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcewen went from 7,610 recorded bearers to 7,365. That is a decrease of 245 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,659 to #4,672.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcewen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewen, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Mcewen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.9% (5,887 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcewen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.9%), Black (11.6%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Mcewen (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 Mcewen mean?
Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eoghain," meaning "son of Eoghan" (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 Mcewen (2.46 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 Mcewen?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Mcewen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.