2000
#37,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 552
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Mcgavin
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Gamhanach" meaning "born of a cleric or monk".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 588 Americans carry the last name Mcgavin. That puts it at #44,979 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 582,916 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgavin 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 Mcgavin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
588
1 in 582,916
Census rank
#44,979
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
513
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 513 bearers of the surname Mcgavin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 44979th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgavin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgavin
The surname McGavin has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name "MacGobhann," which means "son of the smith" or "son of the metalworker." This name originated in the Scottish Highlands and was initially used to identify individuals whose fathers were skilled in metalworking or blacksmithing.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mentions a "Gillecrist MacGobhann" from the county of Argyll. Another early record is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists several individuals with variations of the name, such as "Gillecrist McGowan" and "Gylmychel McGouan."
Over time, the name evolved and took on different spellings, including McGavin, McGavine, McGavyn, and McGowan. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes or record-keepers. In the 16th century, the name McGavin began to emerge as a more common spelling.
One notable individual with the surname McGavin was Sir Robert McGavin (1607-1673), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament and was knighted by King Charles II. Another prominent figure was Reverend William McGavin (1773-1832), a Scottish minister and author who wrote extensively on religious and historical topics.
In later centuries, the name McGavin spread beyond Scotland as members of the clan migrated to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other countries. William McGavin (1837-1914), a Scottish-born businessman, founded the McGavin's Bakeries chain in Canada, which became a major supplier of bread and baked goods across North America.
Other notable individuals with the surname include John McGavin (1918-1985), an American actor known for his roles in films and television shows such as "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." Additionally, Neil McGavin (born 1934) is a Scottish actor who has appeared in numerous television series, including "The Professionals" and "Minder."
While the name McGavin has evolved and spread over the centuries, it remains firmly rooted in its Scottish heritage, carrying with it a connection to the skilled metalworkers and blacksmiths of the medieval Highlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgavin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgavin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgavin 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 Mcgavin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 473
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 23
- Two or more races1.9% · 10
- Black or African American1.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgavin
Mcgavin 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
#39,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 559
+7 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 1,517 places
2020
#44,979
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 513
-46 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 5,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,835 | 552 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,352 | 559 | 0.19 | +7 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 1,517 places |
| 2020 | #44,979 | 513 | 0.17 | -46 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 5,627 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 Mcgavin 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 | #39,352 | #44,979 | -14.3% |
| Count | 559 | 513 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.17 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgavin bearers went from 559 to 513 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 5,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,352 to #44,979.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcgavin
FAQ
Mcgavin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgavin?
Name Census estimates that about 588 living Americans carry the surname Mcgavin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 582,916 residents.
How common is Mcgavin?
Mcgavin ranks #44,979 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 513 people with the surname Mcgavin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (588), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Mcgavin.
Has Mcgavin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgavin went from 559 recorded bearers to 513. That is a decrease of 46 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #39,352 to #44,979.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgavin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgavin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Mcgavin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (473 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgavin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Mcgavin (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 Mcgavin mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Gamhanach" meaning "born of a cleric or monk". 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 Mcgavin (0.17 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 Mcgavin?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Mcgavin, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.