Find out how popular the last name McIlhenny is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McIlhenny.

McIlhenny, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McIlhenny surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McIlhenny in America

McIlhenny is the 45253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McIlhenny surname appeared 473 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McIlhenny.

We can also compare 2010 data for McIlhenny to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McIlhenny

The surname McIlhenny is of Scottish origin, originating in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "Mac Illinnein," which translate to "son of the servant of St. Fhinnan." St. Fhinnan was a 6th-century Irish missionary who established a church on the island of Islay in the Scottish Hebrides.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McIlhenny name appears in the Islay Parish Register of 1676, where a Donald McIlhenny is mentioned. The name was also found in other historical records from Islay and the surrounding areas, such as the Argyll Sasines (property records) from the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the McIlhenny family gained prominence on the island of Islay. Archibald McIlhenny (1727-1792) was a renowned farmer and landowner, whose descendants continued to play a significant role in the local community for generations.

As the McIlhenny clan expanded, they began to migrate to other parts of Scotland and beyond. In the late 18th century, some members of the family settled in County Antrim, Ireland, where they continued to use the McIlhenny spelling.

One notable figure from this Irish branch was John McIlhenny (1798-1874), a successful merchant and ship owner who lived in Belfast. His son, John McIlhenny Jr. (1828-1895), was a prominent businessman and philanthropist who helped establish the Belfast Ropeworks Company.

In the 19th century, several McIlhenny families emigrated to the United States, where the name became more widely dispersed. One of the most famous American McIlhennys was Edmund McIlhenny (1815-1890), a businessman from Maryland who created the iconic Tabasco sauce. His descendants, including John Avery McIlhenny (1867-1942) and Walter S. McIlhenny (1901-1985), continued to be involved in the successful Tabasco brand.

Other notable individuals with the McIlhenny surname include John McIlhenny (1887-1968), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons, and Charles McIlhenny (1858-1930), a Texas rancher and conservationist who helped establish the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McIlhenny

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McIlhenny.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McIlhenny was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McIlhenny has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McIlhenny was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McIlhenny, please contact us.

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