2000
#9,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,055
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Mclamb
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Lamb," meaning "son of Lamb."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,437 Americans carry the last name Mclamb. That puts it at #10,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,725 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mclamb 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
3.4K
1 in 99,725
Census rank
#10,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,997 bearers of the surname Mclamb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclamb, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mclamb
The surname McLamb is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning son and "lamb" referring to the animal. The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who worked with lambs or sheep.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1296 when a Gilbertus McLame appeared in the Ragman Rolls, which were rolls of homage to King Edward I of England. This suggests the name was present in Scotland during the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, variations of the name such as McLambe and McLammy appeared in various Scottish records and charters. One notable individual was John McLammy, who was a merchant in Edinburgh in the late 1400s.
The McLamb name is closely associated with the Borders region of Scotland, particularly the areas around Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. The surname may have originated in this area due to its strong ties to sheep farming and wool trade.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McLamb name spread to other parts of Scotland and began to appear in records in neighboring regions. One of the earliest recorded instances was Robert McLamb, who was born in Ayrshire in 1562.
Another notable bearer of the name was David McLamb, a Scottish minister who lived in the late 16th century. He was a prominent figure in the Church of Scotland and played a role in the Scottish Reformation.
In the 18th century, the McLamb name began to appear in North America, particularly in the colonies of Virginia and North Carolina. This was likely due to Scottish immigration to the New World. One of the earliest recorded instances was James McLamb, who was born in Virginia in 1720.
As the McLamb name spread across the Atlantic, it also underwent some spelling variations, such as McLambe and McLambie. One notable individual with this variation was William McLambie, a Scottish-born merchant who lived in New York in the late 18th century.
Throughout history, the McLamb surname has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, and ministry. While not a widely common name, it has left a mark on both Scottish and American history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mclamb
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclamb, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mclamb 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 Mclamb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.4% · 2,439
- Black or African American12.7% · 380
- Two or more races3.5% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 58
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mclamb
Mclamb 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
#10,373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,106
+51 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 605 places
2020
#10,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,997
-109 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 142 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,768 | 3,055 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,373 | 3,106 | 1.05 | +51 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 605 places |
| 2020 | #10,231 | 2,997 | 1.00 | -109 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 142 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 Mclamb 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 | #10,373 | #10,231 | 1.4% |
| Count | 3,106 | 2,997 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 1.00 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mclamb bearers went from 3,106 to 2,997 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 142 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,373 to #10,231.
FAQ
Mclamb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mclamb?
Name Census estimates that about 3,437 living Americans carry the surname Mclamb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,725 residents.
How common is Mclamb?
Mclamb ranks #10,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,997 people with the surname Mclamb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,437), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Mclamb.
Has Mclamb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mclamb went from 3,106 recorded bearers to 2,997. That is a decrease of 109 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,373 to #10,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Mclamb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclamb, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Mclamb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (2,439 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mclamb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.4%), Black (12.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Mclamb (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 Mclamb mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Lamb," meaning "son of Lamb." 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 Mclamb (1.00 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 Mclamb?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.