2000
#11,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,535
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Mckeehan
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac Etháin, meaning "son of Ethán," a personal name derived from "étan," meaning "little fire."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,671 Americans carry the last name Mckeehan. That puts it at #12,661 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,324 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckeehan 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.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,324
Census rank
#12,661
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,329 bearers of the surname Mckeehan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12661st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckeehan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckeehan
The surname MCKEEHAN is of Scottish origin, originating in the Scottish Highlands during the late medieval period. It is a variant of the more common surname McKEEHAN, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Citheachan" or "Cithachain," meaning "warlike" or "descendant of Citheach."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MCKEEHAN is found in the Black Book of Taymouth, a historical manuscript dating back to the 15th century. This document contains references to various clans and families in the region, including the McKEEHANs.
In the 16th century, the MCKEEHAN surname appears in records from the Isle of Islay, an island off the west coast of Scotland. Several members of the MCKEEHAN clan were known to have resided in the area during this time, with some records mentioning their involvement in local disputes and skirmishes.
Notable individuals with the surname MCKEEHAN throughout history include John MCKEEHAN (1725-1798), a Scottish-born American settler who served as a militia captain during the American Revolutionary War. Another prominent figure was William MCKEEHAN (1799-1872), a Scottish-American industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the McKEEHAN Iron Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In the 19th century, the MCKEEHAN surname was found in various regions of Scotland, including the Highlands, Lowlands, and the Hebrides islands. Some MCKEEHAN families were involved in agricultural pursuits, while others worked in trades such as blacksmithing and weaving.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname MCKEEHAN was Sir Robert MCKEEHAN (1842-1918), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry. He was also a prominent supporter of education and founded several schools in his native Scotland.
Another notable figure was Mary MCKEEHAN (1876-1954), a Scottish-born nurse who served during World War I and was awarded the prestigious Military Medal for her bravery and dedication to caring for wounded soldiers on the front lines.
The surname MCKEEHAN has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including McKEEHAN, McKEEGAN, and McKEEGHAN, reflecting the diverse regional dialects and languages of Scotland. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its Scottish heritage and continues to be associated with the rich history and culture of the Scottish Highlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckeehan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckeehan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckeehan 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 Mckeehan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 2,038
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 148
- Two or more races4.0% · 92
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckeehan
Mckeehan 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
#11,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,650
+115 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 411 places
2020
#12,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,329
-321 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 851 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,399 | 2,535 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,810 | 2,650 | 0.90 | +115 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 411 places |
| 2020 | #12,661 | 2,329 | 0.78 | -321 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 851 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 Mckeehan 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 | #11,810 | #12,661 | -7.2% |
| Count | 2,650 | 2,329 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.78 | -13.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckeehan bearers went from 2,650 to 2,329 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 851 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,810 to #12,661.
FAQ
Mckeehan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckeehan?
Name Census estimates that about 2,671 living Americans carry the surname Mckeehan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,324 residents.
How common is Mckeehan?
Mckeehan ranks #12,661 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,329 people with the surname Mckeehan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,671), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mckeehan.
Has Mckeehan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckeehan went from 2,650 recorded bearers to 2,329. That is a decrease of 321 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,810 to #12,661.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckeehan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckeehan, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Mckeehan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (2,038 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckeehan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Mckeehan (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 Mckeehan mean?
Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic Mac Etháin, meaning "son of Ethán," a personal name derived from "étan," meaning "little fire." 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 Mckeehan (0.78 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 many people have the surname Mckeehan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.