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

McKean, 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 McKean surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKean in America

McKean is the 6402nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKean surname appeared 5,314 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McKean.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKean 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 McKean

The surname MCKEAN is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic 'MacIain' meaning 'son of Iain', which is the Scottish form of the name John. This surname is believed to have emerged in the 13th century, primarily in the Scottish Highlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage to Edward I of England. The roll lists a 'Gillecrist MacIan' from the county of Argyll, which is likely an early variant spelling of the surname MCKEAN.

By the 16th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as McKean, McKean, and McKane. In the 1500s, the McKean clan was known to have settled in the region of Argyllshire, on the western coast of Scotland.

An individual of note bearing this surname was Thomas McKean (1734-1817), an American lawyer, politician, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He served as the second President of Congress under the Articles of Confederation and later as the ninth Governor of Pennsylvania.

Another notable figure was James B. McKean (1821-1879), an American jurist who served as a United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. He was born in Hoosick, New York, and played a significant role in several legal cases during the Reconstruction era.

In the literary world, Joseph McKean (1776-1865) was an American educator and author from Pennsylvania. He published several books, including "The Teacher's Assistant" and "The Young Scholar's Guide to Practical Grammar."

The surname MCKEAN is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as McKean's Cross, a hamlet in Argyll and Bute, and McKean's Hill, a mountain in the Scottish Highlands.

Thomas McKean Bayne (1836-1894) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and the Senate of Canada in the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the surname MCKEAN has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, lawyers, authors, and businessmen, with roots tracing back to the Scottish Highlands and the Gaelic 'MacIain'.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKean

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

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

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

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