2000
#13,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Mcfee
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhuibhshíthe," meaning "son of the dark fairy" or "son of the dark peace."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,285 Americans carry the last name Mcfee. That puts it at #14,430 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,002 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcfee 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 Mcfee with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,002
Census rank
#14,430
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,993 bearers of the surname Mcfee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14430th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfee, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcfee
The surname McFee has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Phaidein," which means "son of Paidein" or "son of the little Patrick." The name was initially used as a patronymic, indicating the father's name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Macfee" in these rolls, suggesting that the spelling and pronunciation had already evolved from its original Gaelic form.
In the 16th century, the McFee family was prominent in the region of Argyll, Scotland. Historical records from this time mention a Duncan McFee, who was a prominent landowner and chieftain of the clan. His descendants continued to hold significant influence in the area for several generations.
The McFee name also appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that some members of the clan had migrated to England by the late 11th century, likely due to political or economic reasons.
One notable figure in the history of the McFee name is John McFee (1650-1725), a Scottish philosopher and theologian known for his writings on natural theology and moral philosophy. He was born in Ayrshire and studied at the University of Glasgow, later becoming a minister in the Church of Scotland.
Another prominent individual was Sir Alexander McFee (1775-1847), a Scottish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in various battles, including the Battle of Waterloo, and was knighted for his bravery and leadership.
In the arts, the name is associated with the Scottish poet and playwright, Robert McFee (1820-1890). Born in Dundee, he gained recognition for his works celebrating Scottish life and culture, including the play "The Laird o' Cockpen."
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the McFee name was in the late 18th century, when a family of Scottish immigrants settled in the Carolinas. Their descendants later migrated westward, contributing to the growth and development of various regions across the country.
Throughout history, the McFee name has been spelled in various ways, including MacFee, McPhee, and McVee, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcfee
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfee, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcfee 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 Mcfee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 1,458
- Black or African American18.6% · 370
- Two or more races4.6% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcfee
Mcfee 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
#14,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,068
-21 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 1,075 places
2020
#14,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,993
-75 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,372 | 2,089 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,447 | 2,068 | 0.70 | -21 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 1,075 places |
| 2020 | #14,430 | 1,993 | 0.67 | -75 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 17 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 Mcfee 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 | #14,447 | #14,430 | 0.1% |
| Count | 2,068 | 1,993 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.67 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcfee bearers went from 2,068 to 1,993 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,447 to #14,430.
FAQ
Mcfee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcfee?
Name Census estimates that about 2,285 living Americans carry the surname Mcfee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,002 residents.
How common is Mcfee?
Mcfee ranks #14,430 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 1,993 people with the surname Mcfee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,285), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Mcfee.
Has Mcfee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcfee went from 2,068 recorded bearers to 1,993. That is a decrease of 75 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,447 to #14,430.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcfee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcfee, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mcfee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (1,458 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcfee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (18.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mcfee (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 Mcfee mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhuibhshíthe," meaning "son of the dark fairy" or "son of the dark peace." 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 Mcfee (0.67 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 Mcfee?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.