2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mckelphin
Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "servant of St. Ailphin".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Mckelphin. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckelphin 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Mckelphin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckelphin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and White (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckelphin
The surname MCKELPHIN is of Scottish origin, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Highlands region of Scotland, specifically in the county of Inverness-shire. The name is thought to derive from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "cailpein" which referred to a person who made or sold calfskin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MCKELPHIN can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "McKelpyne" in these rolls, suggesting its established presence in Scotland by the late 13th century.
In the 17th century, the name MCKELPHIN is documented in the parish records of Kilmonivaig, a historic parish in Lochaber, Inverness-shire. These records mention several families with the surname, indicating their settlement in the area during this period.
Notable individuals with the surname MCKELPHIN throughout history include:
1. Angus MCKELPHIN (c. 1620-1692), a Scottish landowner and cattle farmer in Glengarry, Inverness-shire.
2. Iain MCKELPHIN (1745-1825), a Scottish soldier who fought in the Jacobite Risings and later emigrated to Canada.
3. Margaret MCKELPHIN (1782-1856), a Scottish writer and poet, known for her works celebrating the Highlands culture and landscape.
4. Duncan MCKELPHIN (1830-1902), a Scottish-born Australian businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the gold mining industry.
5. Alasdair MCKELPHIN (1901-1978), a Scottish historian and academic, renowned for his research on Highland clan histories and traditions.
While the surname MCKELPHIN is not among the most common Scottish surnames, it has left a notable mark in various regions of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands, over several centuries. Its origins can be traced back to the occupation of working with calfskin, reflecting the strong ties between Scottish surnames and traditional trades or professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckelphin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckelphin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and White (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckelphin 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 Mckelphin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.4% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- White1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckelphin
Mckelphin 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,460 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,690 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,460 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,690 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 Mckelphin 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 | #146,201 | #143,511 | 1.8% |
| Count | 113 | 118 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckelphin bearers went from 113 to 118 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,690 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #143,511.
FAQ
Mckelphin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckelphin?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Mckelphin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Mckelphin?
Mckelphin ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Mckelphin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mckelphin.
Has Mckelphin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckelphin went from 113 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckelphin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckelphin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and White (1.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mckelphin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckelphin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), White (1.7%). 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 Mckelphin (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 Mckelphin mean?
Scottish surname derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "servant of St. Ailphin". 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 Mckelphin (0.04 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 are called Mckelphin?
See how many people are called Mckelphin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.