2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mckirahan
Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Ciaran meaning "son of Ciaran".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Mckirahan. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckirahan 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Mckirahan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckirahan, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckirahan
The surname McKirahan has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic name MacCraith, which means "son of the priest" or "son of the druid." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been descendants of a clan leader or prominent figure in the Scottish Church or Celtic religious order.
Historical records indicate that the McKirahan name first appeared in the Argyll region of western Scotland, where many of the ancient Scottish clans were based. The earliest known spelling variations include McKyrrachin, McKirraghen, and McKirrighen, reflecting the Gaelic pronunciation and the influence of regional dialects.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1476, where a certain Gillecrist McKyrrachin is mentioned. This document provides valuable insight into the name's evolution and its prevalence in medieval Scottish society.
In the 16th century, the McKirahans were associated with the powerful Clan Campbell, which held significant influence in Argyll and the surrounding areas. Several members of the McKirahan family served as loyal retainers and warriors for the Campbells during this turbulent period in Scottish history.
Notable individuals bearing the McKirahan surname include:
1. Angus McKirahan (c. 1550-1620), a renowned Scottish archer and member of the Clan Campbell's personal guard.
2. Malcolm McKirahan (1623-1692), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who emigrated to the American colonies and helped establish the Presbyterian Church in New Jersey.
3. Isobel McKirahan (1674-1745), a Scottish herbalist and healer renowned for her knowledge of traditional Gaelic remedies.
4. Lachlan McKirahan (1781-1855), a Scottish immigrant to Canada and one of the early settlers of Prince Edward Island.
5. Alasdair McKirahan (1890-1964), a Scottish poet and Gaelic language scholar who helped preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Highlands.
While the McKirahan name has spread across the globe through migration and diaspora, its roots remain firmly planted in the rugged landscapes and ancient traditions of the Scottish Highlands, where it first emerged as a symbol of kinship, heritage, and enduring cultural identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckirahan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckirahan, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckirahan 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 Mckirahan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckirahan
Mckirahan 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-24 bearers (-18.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 31,235 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-18.5%) | Down 31,235 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 5,104 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 Mckirahan 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 | #153,769 | #148,665 | 3.3% |
| Count | 106 | 111 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckirahan bearers went from 106 to 111 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 5,104 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #148,665.
FAQ
Mckirahan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckirahan?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Mckirahan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Mckirahan?
Mckirahan ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Mckirahan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Mckirahan.
Has Mckirahan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckirahan went from 106 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 5 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckirahan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckirahan, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Mckirahan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckirahan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Hispanic (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Mckirahan (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 Mckirahan mean?
Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Ciaran meaning "son of Ciaran". 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 Mckirahan (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 share the surname Mckirahan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.