2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcknabb
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Naomhóg meaning "son of an ecclesiastic or monk".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Mcknabb. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcknabb 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Mcknabb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcknabb, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcknabb
The surname McKnabb originates from Scotland, with its roots dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "mac" and "cnaimh," meaning "son of the bone" or "son of the lean person." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a slender or bony physique.
The McKnabb name was concentrated primarily in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the areas of Argyll and the Hebrides. Early recorded spellings of the name include MacNab, McNab, and McNabb, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era.
One of the earliest documented references to the McKnabb name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "Gilbert de Monabi" is believed to be an early rendering of the McKnabb name.
In the 16th century, the McKnabb clan played a significant role in the turbulent history of Scotland. Finlay McNab, born around 1500, was a prominent chief of the clan and is recorded as having led his clansmen in battles against the MacGregors and other rival clans.
Another notable figure was Sir Robert Menteith McNabb, born in 1687, who served as a British army officer and fought in the Wars of the Spanish Succession. He was later appointed as the Governor of Duncannon Fort in Ireland.
During the 18th century, the McKnabb name gained recognition through the exploits of Alexander McNab, born in 1738. He was a Scottish-born explorer and fur trader who established the first European settlement in what is now Oregon, United States, known as Fort Nez Perces.
In the literary world, the McKnabb surname is associated with Robert McNabb, born in 1764, a Scottish poet and author who published several collections of poetry and was known for his romantic verse.
The McKnabb name has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as McNab's Isle in Loch Lomond and the village of St. Fillans, where the McNab clan once held significant lands and influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcknabb
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcknabb, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcknabb 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 Mcknabb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 87
- Black or African American16.7% · 18
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcknabb
Mcknabb 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+24 bearers (+24.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,843 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-16 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,342 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +24 bearers (+24.0%) | Up 14,843 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 15,342 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 Mcknabb 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 | #135,593 | #150,935 | -11.3% |
| Count | 124 | 108 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcknabb bearers went from 124 to 108 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 15,342 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #150,935.
FAQ
Mcknabb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcknabb?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Mcknabb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Mcknabb?
Mcknabb ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Mcknabb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Mcknabb.
Has Mcknabb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcknabb went from 124 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcknabb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcknabb, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Mcknabb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcknabb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (16.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Mcknabb (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 Mcknabb mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Naomhóg meaning "son of an ecclesiastic or monk". 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 Mcknabb (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 Americans have the surname Mcknabb?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.