2000
#3,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,401
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.86
Uncommon Last name
Mcintire
A Scottish and Irish occupational surname referring to a carpenter or wood craftsman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,744 Americans carry the last name Mcintire. That puts it at #3,412 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,185 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcintire 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 Mcintire with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,185
Census rank
#3,412
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,241 bearers of the surname Mcintire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3412th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcintire, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcintire
The surname McIntire has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged as a variant spelling of the name McIntyre or MacIntyre. This Gaelic name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "mac an t-saoir," which translate to "son of the carpenter."
In the 13th century, the name McIntire was found primarily in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. Early records show various spellings, including McYntyr, McKyntyr, and McEntre.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mentions a "Gillecrist Maccaindsycyr." This suggests that the McIntire surname was well-established in Scotland by the Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, the McIntires were prominently associated with the Clan Donald, one of the largest and most powerful clans in the Scottish Highlands. Sir John McIntire (c. 1548-1623), a renowned Scottish soldier and clan chief, fought alongside the Earl of Argyll during the Scottish Reformation.
Another notable McIntire was Duncan McIntire (1722-1788), a Scottish-born merchant and shipbuilder who settled in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the American colonies. He became a prominent figure in the local shipbuilding industry and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, the McIntire surname gained recognition through the works of Samuel McIntire (1757-1811), an American architect and woodcarver from Salem, Massachusetts. He is regarded as one of the most celebrated architects of the Federal style and designed numerous buildings, including the Peirce-Nichols House and the Salem Athenaeum.
Another notable figure was William McIntire (1839-1908), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Jonesborough in 1864.
As the McIntire family spread across the world, the surname underwent various spellings, including McInteire, McInteyre, and McIntyre. However, the origins of this name can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands, where it derived from the Gaelic term for "son of the carpenter."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcintire
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcintire, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcintire 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 Mcintire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 9,086
- Two or more races3.9% · 398
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 354
- Black or African American2.5% · 255
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcintire
Mcintire 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
#3,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,566
+165 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 3.58
Rank movement Down 214 places
2020
#3,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,241
-325 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 3.43
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,166 | 10,401 | 3.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,380 | 10,566 | 3.58 | +165 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 214 places |
| 2020 | #3,412 | 10,241 | 3.43 | -325 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 32 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 Mcintire 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 | #3,380 | #3,412 | -0.9% |
| Count | 10,566 | 10,241 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.58 | 3.43 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcintire bearers went from 10,566 to 10,241 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,380 to #3,412.
FAQ
Mcintire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcintire?
Name Census estimates that about 11,744 living Americans carry the surname Mcintire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,185 residents.
How common is Mcintire?
Mcintire ranks #3,412 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,241 people with the surname Mcintire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,744), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mcintire.
Has Mcintire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcintire went from 10,566 recorded bearers to 10,241. That is a decrease of 325 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,380 to #3,412.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcintire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcintire, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Mcintire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (9,086 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcintire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Mcintire (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 Mcintire mean?
A Scottish and Irish occupational surname referring to a carpenter or wood craftsman. 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 Mcintire (3.43 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 common is the surname Mcintire?
Find out how many people are called Mcintire on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.