2000
#10,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,798
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Mckissick
A Scottish occupational surname referring to someone who made wooden casks or tubs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,148 Americans carry the last name Mckissick. That puts it at #11,054 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,880 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckissick 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
3.1K
1 in 108,880
Census rank
#11,054
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,745 bearers of the surname Mckissick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11054th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckissick, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Black (30.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckissick
The surname McKissick originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic phrase "mac ìosaic," which translates to "son of Isaac." This suggests that the name was initially given as a patronymic to distinguish the descendants of a man named Isaac.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McKissick surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "McKysshok" in this historical document.
As the name evolved, various spellings emerged, such as McKissock, McKissack, and McKissick. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McKissick name was particularly prevalent in the Scottish counties of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. Several notable individuals bore this surname during this period, including John McKissick (1560-1623), a merchant and landowner from Ayrshire.
In the late 17th century, the McKissick family expanded their influence, with some members migrating to Ireland. One prominent figure was Robert McKissick (1644-1711), a Presbyterian minister who served in County Antrim.
As the Scottish diaspora spread across the globe, the McKissick name took root in various parts of the world. In the 18th century, several McKissicks settled in North America, particularly in the Carolinas and Virginia.
One notable American bearer of the McKissick name was James McKissick (1785-1859), a farmer and politician from South Carolina who served in the state legislature. Another prominent figure was William McKissick (1809-1892), a wealthy plantation owner and businessman from Mississippi.
The McKissick surname also gained recognition in the field of education. Robert McKissick (1874-1952) was a renowned educator and president of the University of South Carolina, while Frank McKissick (1904-1987) was a prominent civil rights activist and lawyer from South Carolina.
Throughout history, the McKissick name has been associated with various professions, from merchants and landowners to ministers, politicians, and educators. Despite its Scottish origins, the surname has become widely dispersed across different regions, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckissick
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckissick, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Black (30.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckissick 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 Mckissick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.0% · 1,647
- Black or African American30.3% · 831
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 123
- Two or more races4.4% · 120
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckissick
Mckissick 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
#10,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,892
+94 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 479 places
2020
#11,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,745
-147 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Down 56 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,519 | 2,798 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,998 | 2,892 | 0.98 | +94 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 479 places |
| 2020 | #11,054 | 2,745 | 0.92 | -147 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 56 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 Mckissick 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 | #10,998 | #11,054 | -0.5% |
| Count | 2,892 | 2,745 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.92 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckissick bearers went from 2,892 to 2,745 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 56 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,998 to #11,054.
FAQ
Mckissick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckissick?
Name Census estimates that about 3,148 living Americans carry the surname Mckissick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,880 residents.
How common is Mckissick?
Mckissick ranks #11,054 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,745 people with the surname Mckissick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,148), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Mckissick.
Has Mckissick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckissick went from 2,892 recorded bearers to 2,745. That is a decrease of 147 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,998 to #11,054.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckissick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckissick, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Black (30.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Mckissick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.0% (1,647 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckissick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.0%), Black (30.3%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Mckissick (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 Mckissick mean?
A Scottish occupational surname referring to someone who made wooden casks or tubs. 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 Mckissick (0.92 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 Mckissick?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Mckissick at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.