2000
#7,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,333
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.61
Rare Last name
Mcguinness
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mag Aonghusa, meaning "descendant of Angus" (Angus itself meaning "unique choice").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,026 Americans carry the last name Mcguinness. That puts it at #7,329 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,196 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcguinness 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 Mcguinness with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,196
Census rank
#7,329
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,383 bearers of the surname Mcguinness in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7329th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguinness, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcguinness
The surname McGuinness is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name "MacConghalaigh," which translates to "son of the descendant of Conghalach." Conghalach is an old Gaelic personal name composed of the elements "con" meaning hound or wolf, and "gal" meaning valor or bravery, thus suggesting a brave or valorous person.
The McGuinness clan hailed from County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province of Ireland. The name first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, with references to members of the clan in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Annals, which mention a Domhnall Mac Conghalaigh, a prominent chieftain from County Donegal who died in 1247. Another notable figure was Tuathal Mac Conghalaigh, a 14th-century bishop of Raphoe, a diocese in County Donegal.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McGuinness clan played a significant role in the Nine Years' War (1594-1603), a conflict between the Irish chieftains and the English forces. Aodh Ruadh Mac Conghalaigh, a McGuinness chieftain, was a prominent leader in the war and fought alongside the famous Irish chieftain, Red Hugh O'Donnell.
The surname McGuinness is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Ballymaconaghy in County Donegal, which means "the town of the McGuinness clan." Other variations of the name's spelling include McGuiness, McGinnis, and Guinness, the latter of which became famous for the Irish brewing family.
Notable individuals with the McGuinness surname include:
1. Martin McGuinness (1950-2017), an Irish republican politician who served as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2007 to 2017.
2. Paddy McGuinness (born 1973), an English comedian, actor, and television presenter.
3. Frank McGuinness (born 1953), an Irish playwright and poet, known for works such as "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme."
4. Thomas McGuinness (1901-1971), an American businessman and co-founder of the United Fruit Company.
5. John McGuinness (born 1972), an English motorcycle racer and multiple-time winner of the Isle of Man TT races.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcguinness
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguinness, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcguinness 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 Mcguinness surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 3,955
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 217
- Two or more races3.0% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 51
- Black or African American0.5% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcguinness
Mcguinness 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
#7,650
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,342
+9 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 540 places
2020
#7,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,383
+41 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Up 321 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,110 | 4,333 | 1.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,650 | 4,342 | 1.47 | +9 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 540 places |
| 2020 | #7,329 | 4,383 | 1.47 | +41 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 321 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 Mcguinness 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 | #7,650 | #7,329 | 4.2% |
| Count | 4,342 | 4,383 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.47 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcguinness bearers went from 4,342 to 4,383 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 321 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,650 to #7,329.
FAQ
Mcguinness surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcguinness?
Name Census estimates that about 5,026 living Americans carry the surname Mcguinness. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,196 residents.
How common is Mcguinness?
Mcguinness ranks #7,329 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 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 4,383 people with the surname Mcguinness. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,026), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 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 Mcguinness.
Has Mcguinness become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcguinness went from 4,342 recorded bearers to 4,383. That is an increase of 41 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,650 to #7,329.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcguinness?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguinness, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Mcguinness in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (3,955 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcguinness appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Mcguinness (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 Mcguinness mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mag Aonghusa, meaning "descendant of Angus" (Angus itself meaning "unique choice"). 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 Mcguinness (1.47 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 Mcguinness?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.