2000
#1,218
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,354
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.77
Uncommon Last name
Mcgill
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Ghoill," meaning "son of the foreigner or stranger."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,880 Americans carry the last name Mcgill. That puts it at #1,326 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgill 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 Mcgill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
30K
1 in 11,471
Census rank
#1,326
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,057 bearers of the surname Mcgill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1326th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgill, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgill
The surname McGill has its origins in Ireland and Scotland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gill" or "Gille," meaning "servant" or "youth," combined with the prefix "Mac," meaning "son of." This suggests that the name originally referred to the son of someone named Gill.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Scottish and Irish historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the mention of "Gillemor McGill" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1264. The surname is also found in various forms, such as "M'Gill," "McGyll," and "Makgill," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Several historical figures have borne the surname McGill. One of the earliest was Sir James McGill (1744-1813), a Scottish-born merchant and philanthropist who was a prominent figure in Montreal, Canada. He bequeathed a significant portion of his estate to establish McGill University, one of Canada's most prestigious institutions of higher learning.
Another noteworthy individual was John McGill (1809-1890), an Irish-born civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the Erie Canal and other major infrastructure projects in the United States during the 19th century.
In Scotland, the McGill family had a strong presence in Ayrshire, where they held lands and were involved in local affairs. One notable member was Sir David McGill (1549-1628), a Scottish courtier and diplomat who served under King James VI and I.
In Ireland, the McGill surname was particularly prevalent in County Down, where it is believed to have originated. One prominent figure was Patrick McGill (1801-1891), an Irish Catholic priest and educator who established several schools and played a key role in promoting education in the region.
While the surname McGill has its roots in the British Isles, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and immigration. Notable individuals with this surname have made contributions in fields such as education, engineering, business, and politics, leaving a lasting legacy associated with the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgill
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgill, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgill 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 Mcgill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.2% · 16,993
- Black or African American26.2% · 6,821
- Two or more races4.0% · 1,041
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 896
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 154
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 152
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgill
Mcgill 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
#1,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,330
+976 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 9.27
Rank movement Down 64 places
2020
#1,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,057
-1,273 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 8.72
Rank movement Down 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,218 | 26,354 | 9.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,282 | 27,330 | 9.27 | +976 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 64 places |
| 2020 | #1,326 | 26,057 | 8.72 | -1,273 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 44 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 Mcgill 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 | #1,282 | #1,326 | -3.4% |
| Count | 27,330 | 26,057 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 9.27 | 8.72 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgill bearers went from 27,330 to 26,057 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,282 to #1,326.
FAQ
Mcgill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgill?
Name Census estimates that about 29,880 living Americans carry the surname Mcgill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,471 residents.
How common is Mcgill?
Mcgill ranks #1,326 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,057 people with the surname Mcgill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,880), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Mcgill.
Has Mcgill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgill went from 27,330 recorded bearers to 26,057. That is a decrease of 1,273 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,282 to #1,326.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgill, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.2%. The next largest groups are Black (26.2%) 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 Mcgill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.2% (16,993 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.2%), Black (26.2%), 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 Mcgill (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 Mcgill mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Ghoill," meaning "son of the foreigner or stranger." 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 Mcgill (8.72 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 Americans have the surname Mcgill?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.