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

McKain, 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 McKain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKain in America

McKain is the 12696th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKain surname appeared 2,431 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McKain.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKain 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 McKain

The surname McKain has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son of' and 'cian' meaning 'ancient' or 'old'. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who was the son of an elder or respected individual.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as 'McKayn', indicating that variations in spelling were common during this time period.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name McKain was John McKain, a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Dunkeld from 1337 to 1349. He is mentioned in several historical records from that era, including the Scotichronicon, a 14th-century chronicle of Scottish history.

During the 16th century, the name McKain was associated with the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. One prominent individual from this time was Ewen McKain, who lived in the late 1500s and was a landowner and chief of the Clan MacKain, a smaller Highland clan.

In the 17th century, the name McKain began to spread beyond Scotland as Scottish immigrants settled in other parts of the British Isles and North America. One notable figure from this period was Robert McKain, a Scottish soldier who fought for the Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War in the 1640s.

As the McKain name continued to disperse throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, it appeared in various historical records and manuscripts across the English-speaking world. For example, John McKain, born in 1742 in County Tyrone, Ireland, was a notable figure in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a captain in the Continental Army.

Another individual of note was James McKain, born in 1812 in Glasgow, Scotland, who emigrated to Australia in the 1830s and became a successful businessman and landowner in the colony of New South Wales. He played a significant role in the development of the region and was involved in local politics.

Throughout its history, the McKain surname has been associated with several place names and variations in spelling, including MacKain, MacKane, and McKeyn. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its Scottish roots and continues to be a part of the rich tapestry of surnames found throughout the English-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKain

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

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

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

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