Find out how popular the last name McLane is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McLane.

McLane, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McLane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McLane in America

McLane is the 6077th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McLane surname appeared 5,640 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McLane.

We can also compare 2010 data for McLane to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McLane

The surname McLane is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Gille Eáin, meaning "son of the servant of St. John." It is a common surname in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland as Makgillean. This spelling variation reflects the evolving nature of the name's orthography over time.

In the 16th century, the McLane clan was closely associated with the powerful Clan Donald, serving as their loyal supporters and allies. During this period, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which document the Scottish nobles who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England.

One notable figure bearing the McLane surname was John McLane (c. 1590-1670), a Scottish minister and theologian who played a significant role in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Ireland. He was a respected figure in his time and authored several influential religious works.

Another distinguished bearer of the name was Sir Robert McLane (1769-1847), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved the rank of Admiral and was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath for his military service.

In the 19th century, the McLane family made its mark in the United States. Thomas McLane (1788-1873) was a prominent American politician who served as the 14th Governor of Delaware from 1847 to 1851.

The name also has literary connections, with David McLane (1858-1928), an American novelist and poet who wrote extensively about the American West and Native American culture.

One of the most renowned figures with the McLane surname is Louisa McLane (1850-1936), an American socialite and hostess who played a significant role in Washington D.C. society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Throughout its history, the McLane surname has been associated with various place names, such as McLane's Creek in Kentucky and McLane's Gap in Pennsylvania, further reinforcing its deep roots in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McLane

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McLane.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McLane was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McLane has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McLane was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McLane, please contact us.

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