2000
#7,927
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Mcglynn
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Fhiontóg," meaning "son of the servant of St. Fhiontóg."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,665 Americans carry the last name Mcglynn. That puts it at #7,820 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,474 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcglynn 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 Mcglynn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,474
Census rank
#7,820
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,068 bearers of the surname Mcglynn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7820th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcglynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcglynn
The surname McGlynn is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Fhinn" or "son of the descendant of Finn". Finn was a revered warrior in Irish mythology, and this name suggests descent from one of his descendants.
The name is believed to have emerged in the 10th or 11th century in Ireland, particularly in the northern counties of Ulster and Donegal. Variations in spelling include McGlinn, MacGlynn, and McGlinn.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the late 15th century. The entry for the year 1197 mentions a "Mac Gille Fhinn" in relation to a land dispute in County Donegal.
In the 16th century, the McGlynn name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest, a collection of administrative records from the English conquest of Ireland. A notable figure from this period is Turlough McGlynn, a chieftain in County Donegal who led resistance against English forces in the 1590s.
During the 17th century, several McGlynns were recorded in the Hearth Money Rolls, a tax record from the 1660s. One entry mentions a Toirdhealbhach McGlynn from County Tyrone.
In the 18th century, James McGlynn (1696-1772) was a prominent Catholic priest and poet from County Donegal. He wrote in both Irish and English and was known for his satirical works critiquing the Anglo-Irish establishment.
Another notable figure was Patrick McGlynn (1757-1847), a United Irishman and revolutionary who fought in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was later imprisoned for his role in the uprising.
In the 19th century, John McGlynn (1837-1900) was an Irish-American priest who gained notoriety for advocating labor rights and criticizing the treatment of workers by wealthy industrialists. He had a public feud with the Archbishop of New York, which led to his excommunication for a time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcglynn
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcglynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcglynn 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 Mcglynn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 3,740
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 166
- Two or more races2.4% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 36
- Black or African American0.5% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcglynn
Mcglynn 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
#7,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,200
+328 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Up 47 places
2020
#7,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,068
-132 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,927 | 3,872 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,880 | 4,200 | 1.42 | +328 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 47 places |
| 2020 | #7,820 | 4,068 | 1.36 | -132 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 60 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 Mcglynn 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 | #7,880 | #7,820 | 0.8% |
| Count | 4,200 | 4,068 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.36 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcglynn bearers went from 4,200 to 4,068 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,880 to #7,820.
FAQ
Mcglynn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcglynn?
Name Census estimates that about 4,665 living Americans carry the surname Mcglynn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,474 residents.
How common is Mcglynn?
Mcglynn ranks #7,820 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,068 people with the surname Mcglynn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,665), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Mcglynn.
Has Mcglynn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcglynn went from 4,200 recorded bearers to 4,068. That is a decrease of 132 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,880 to #7,820.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcglynn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcglynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Mcglynn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (3,740 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcglynn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Mcglynn (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 Mcglynn mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Fhiontóg," meaning "son of the servant of St. Fhiontóg." 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 Mcglynn (1.36 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 Mcglynn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.