2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mclarnan
An Irish surname meaning "son of the lame man".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Mclarnan. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mclarnan 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Mclarnan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclarnan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mclarnan
The surname McLarnan is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Larnáin, meaning "son of Larnán." The name Larnán is thought to be a diminutive form of the Gaelic name Lorcan, which means "little fierce one."
The McLarnan name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire, where Gaelic was widely spoken. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Scottish clan records from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest known references to the McLarnan name is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which are historical records of the Scottish government's financial accounts. In the year 1542, a certain Donald McLarnan is mentioned as having been involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.
Another notable reference to the name is found in the Black Book of Taymouth, an ancient manuscript containing records of the Breadalbane family, which was a powerful Scottish clan. The manuscript mentions a McLarnan who served as a retainer to the Breadalbane clan in the late 16th century.
Over the centuries, the McLarnan name has had various spellings, including McLernan, McLarnon, and McLarnin. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John McLarnan, who was born in Argyll around 1610 and served as a minister in the Church of Scotland.
In the 18th century, a McLarnan family settled in the town of Dunfermline, Fife, where they established themselves as successful merchants. One member of this family, James McLarnan (1744-1821), became a prominent banker and philanthropist, founding a school and supporting various charitable causes.
Another notable McLarnan was Sir William McLarnan (1802-1878), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Argyllshire from 1857 to 1868. He was also a prominent supporter of the Free Church of Scotland.
In the 19th century, the McLarnan name began to spread beyond Scotland as families emigrated to other parts of the British Empire and the United States. One such individual was John McLarnan (1829-1905), who was born in Argyll and later became a successful businessman in New York City.
Another notable McLarnan was Robert McLarnan (1850-1914), a Scottish-born architect who designed several notable buildings in Toronto, Canada, including the Don Valley Brick Works and the former Toronto Jail.
While the McLarnan name may not be as widespread as some other Scottish surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands and Gaelic roots. Despite variations in spelling, the name has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mclarnan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclarnan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mclarnan 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 Mclarnan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mclarnan
Mclarnan 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
#120,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
-3 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,161 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-23 bearers (-16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,901 | 143 | 0.05 | -3 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 9,161 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-16.1%) | Down 21,148 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 Mclarnan 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 | #120,901 | #142,049 | -17.5% |
| Count | 143 | 120 | -16.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mclarnan bearers went from 143 to 120 (-16.1% change). The surname moved down 21,148 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,901 to #142,049.
FAQ
Mclarnan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mclarnan?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Mclarnan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Mclarnan?
Mclarnan ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Mclarnan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Mclarnan.
Has Mclarnan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mclarnan went from 143 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 23 (-16.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,901 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Mclarnan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclarnan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Mclarnan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mclarnan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (5.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Mclarnan (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 Mclarnan mean?
An Irish surname meaning "son of the lame man". 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 Mclarnan (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 people have the surname Mclarnan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.