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

McInnis, 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 McInnis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McInnis in America

McInnis is the 4475th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McInnis surname appeared 7,933 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname McInnis.

We can also compare 2010 data for McInnis 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 McInnis

The surname McInnis has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Aonghuis," which translates to "son of Angus." Angus was a popular personal name in ancient Scotland, often given to those born on the feast day of St. Angus.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McInnis name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name appears as "Makingis," reflecting the evolving spelling and pronunciation over time.

The McInnis clan was primarily based in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Outer Hebrides. Several historical records mention individuals with this surname, such as Angus McInnis, who was a prominent landowner in the Isle of Islay in the 16th century.

Another notable figure was John McInnis, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Battle of Culloden in 1746. He was captured and later transported to the American colonies as an indentured servant, contributing to the spread of the McInnis name across the Atlantic.

In the 17th century, the McInnis surname can be found in various parish records and legal documents, often spelled as "MacInnis" or "MacInnes." One such example is Donald MacInnes, a Presbyterian minister who lived in the Highlands during the 1650s.

The McInnis name has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Innis Chonain (Innis of the Hounds) in Argyll, which may have influenced the surname's evolution.

Among the notable individuals with the McInnis surname in more recent history are:

1. Robert McInnis (1844-1917), a Canadian politician and businessman from Nova Scotia.
2. Edgar McInnis (1899-1973), a Canadian historian and academic, best known for his works on the Maritimes and Atlantic Canada.
3. Lorne McInnis (1901-1956), a Canadian politician and Member of Parliament for Vancouver East.
4. Dennis McInnis (1918-2008), an American jazz saxophonist and bandleader from Massachusetts.
5. Alec McInnis (1932-2017), a Canadian politician and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton-East Richmond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McInnis

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

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 McInnis 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 McInnis 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 McInnis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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