2000
#31,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 693
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Mcgurn
A surname of Scottish origin derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cuirn" meaning "son of Cairn".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 812 Americans carry the last name Mcgurn. That puts it at #34,480 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 422,111 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgurn 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 Mcgurn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
812
1 in 422,111
Census rank
#34,480
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
708
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 708 bearers of the surname Mcgurn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34480th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgurn, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgurn
The surname McGurn is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the area around Argyll and the western Isles.
The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Guaire," an ancient personal name thought to mean "watchful" or "vigilant." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were descendants of a person named Guaire, known for their watchful or protective nature.
In ancient Scottish records, the name appears with various spellings, such as MacGuaire, MacGuyre, and MacGwyre, reflecting the evolving nature of language and regional variations in pronunciation. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England.
Notable individuals with the surname McGurn throughout history include Sir John McGurn (c. 1540-1610), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who played a prominent role in the clan feuds of the 16th century. Another notable figure was Donald McGurn (1744-1823), a Scottish soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Nova Scotia, Canada.
In the literary realm, Margaret McGurn (1866-1942), a Scottish author and poet, gained recognition for her works depicting rural life in the Scottish Highlands. The name also appears in the historical records of Ireland, with Patrick McGurn (1788-1865), an Irish priest and educator, making significant contributions to the education system in County Donegal.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States dates back to the late 18th century, when James McGurn (1763-1845), an immigrant from Scotland, settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent businessman and landowner.
While the McGurn surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by descendants of Scottish immigrants and those of Irish descent who adopted the name through marriage or other circumstances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgurn
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgurn, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgurn 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 Mcgurn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 587
- Two or more races5.6% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 28
- Black or African American3.8% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgurn
Mcgurn 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
#32,169
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 717
+24 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 606 places
2020
#34,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 708
-9 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 2,311 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,563 | 693 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,169 | 717 | 0.24 | +24 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 606 places |
| 2020 | #34,480 | 708 | 0.24 | -9 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 2,311 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 Mcgurn 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 | #32,169 | #34,480 | -7.2% |
| Count | 717 | 708 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.24 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgurn bearers went from 717 to 708 (-1.3% change). The surname moved down 2,311 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,169 to #34,480.
FAQ
Mcgurn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgurn?
Name Census estimates that about 812 living Americans carry the surname Mcgurn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 422,111 residents.
How common is Mcgurn?
Mcgurn ranks #34,480 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 708 people with the surname Mcgurn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (812), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Mcgurn.
Has Mcgurn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgurn went from 717 recorded bearers to 708. That is a decrease of 9 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,169 to #34,480.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgurn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgurn, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Mcgurn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (587 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgurn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Two or More Races (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Mcgurn (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 Mcgurn mean?
A surname of Scottish origin derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cuirn" meaning "son of Cairn". 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 Mcgurn (0.24 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 share the surname Mcgurn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.