2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mckirgan
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Fhearghain meaning "son of Fearghan".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Mckirgan. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckirgan 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Mckirgan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckirgan, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckirgan
The surname McKirgan originates from Scotland, and it is thought to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Ciaran" or "Ciregan," which were personal names popularized by early Irish saints.
The earliest recorded instances of the McKirgan surname can be traced back to the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. The name is thought to have evolved from various spellings, such as McKiregan, McKirrigan, and McKerrigan, reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.
While the surname does not appear in notable historical records like the Domesday Book, it is mentioned in several Scottish clan histories and genealogical records from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a John McKirgan in the Ayr Burgh Records of 1597, indicating the presence of the name in that region during the late 16th century.
In terms of notable individuals bearing the McKirgan surname, one of the earliest recorded was James McKirgan, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in the late 17th century (c. 1660-1720). Another significant figure was Robert McKirgan (1733-1804), a prominent Scottish clergyman and author who served as the minister of Closeburn Parish in Dumfriesshire.
Moving into the 19th century, William McKirgan (1810-1875) was a Scottish-born farmer and community leader who settled in Ontario, Canada, and played a role in the development of the region. In the United States, Thomas McKirgan (1855-1932) was a successful businessman and real estate developer in New York City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
One of the most notable individuals with the McKirgan surname was John McKirgan (1891-1957), a Scottish-American architect who designed several iconic buildings in Los Angeles, including the Wiltern Theatre and the Richfield Tower.
While the McKirgan surname may not be as widely known as some other Scottish surnames, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of Scotland, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark across various fields and regions throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckirgan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckirgan, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckirgan 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 Mckirgan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 95
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckirgan
Mckirgan 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-15 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,810 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-18 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,542 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 20,810 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 14,542 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 Mckirgan 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 | #141,140 | #155,682 | -10.3% |
| Count | 118 | 100 | -15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckirgan bearers went from 118 to 100 (-15.3% change). The surname moved down 14,542 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #155,682.
FAQ
Mckirgan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckirgan?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Mckirgan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Mckirgan?
Mckirgan ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Mckirgan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Mckirgan.
Has Mckirgan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckirgan went from 118 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckirgan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckirgan, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Mckirgan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckirgan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Mckirgan (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 Mckirgan mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Fhearghain meaning "son of Fearghan". 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 Mckirgan (0.03 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 Mckirgan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.