2000
#392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 73,128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 27.11
Uncommon Last name
Mclaughlin
Son of Lochlainn, derived from the Irish Gaelic "Mac Lochlainn," meaning "son of the Scandinavian Viking chief."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 82,520 Americans carry the last name Mclaughlin. That puts it at #446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 24.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mclaughlin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mclaughlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
83K
1 in 4,154
Census rank
#446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
24.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
72K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 71,961 bearers of the surname Mclaughlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 24.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclaughlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mclaughlin
The surname McLaughlin is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic 'Mac Lochlainn', meaning 'son of the Norwegian'. This name dates back to the 12th century when there were frequent Norse invasions and settlements in parts of Scotland.
The name is believed to have derived from the ancient territories of Clan Loughlin, a branch of the wider Clan Donald, who once held lands in Argyll and the Hebrides. Early records mention a Gillespie McLochlin who received a grant of lands in Kintyre from Robert the Bruce in 1314.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mentions a 'Malcolm McLougli'. The Clan Munro manuscript from 1597 also includes references to 'McLochlan of Craigintarrie'.
In the 16th century, the name began appearing with various spellings such as McLauchlin, McLoughlin, and McLaughlin. A notable figure from this period was Sir Evan McLaughlin (c.1525-1595), a Scottish soldier who fought for the Swedish King Gustaf I in the Northern Seven Years' War.
As the name spread throughout Scotland and Ireland, it became associated with several place names. For example, the Scottish town of Ardmucknish was formerly known as 'Ardmucknishe McLauchlin' in the 17th century.
Other notable individuals with this surname include:
1. James McLaughlin (1834-1923), an American industrialist and founder of the McLaughlin carriage company.
2. Marie McLaughlin (1886-1971), an American actress and vaudeville performer.
3. Andrew McLaughlin (1924-2012), a Scottish golfer who won the British Open in 1962.
4. Gerald McLaughlin (1934-2011), an Irish painter and sculptor known for his abstract expressionist works.
5. Elinor McLaughlin (1920-1998), an American mathematician and computer scientist who worked on early programming languages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mclaughlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclaughlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mclaughlin 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 Mclaughlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 61,221
- Black or African American7.0% · 5,034
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 2,505
- Two or more races3.2% · 2,331
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 541
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 329
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mclaughlin
Mclaughlin 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
#437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 74,816
+1,688 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 25.36
Rank movement Down 45 places
2020
#446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 71,961
-2,855 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 24.08
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #392 | 73,128 | 27.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #437 | 74,816 | 25.36 | +1,688 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 45 places |
| 2020 | #446 | 71,961 | 24.08 | -2,855 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 9 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 Mclaughlin 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 | #437 | #446 | -2.1% |
| Count | 74,816 | 71,961 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 25.36 | 24.08 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mclaughlin bearers went from 74,816 to 71,961 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #437 to #446.
FAQ
Mclaughlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mclaughlin?
Name Census estimates that about 82,520 living Americans carry the surname Mclaughlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,154 residents.
How common is Mclaughlin?
Mclaughlin ranks #446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 24.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 24 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 71,961 people with the surname Mclaughlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (82,520), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 24.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 24.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 24 of them to have the surname Mclaughlin.
Has Mclaughlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mclaughlin went from 74,816 recorded bearers to 71,961. That is a decrease of 2,855 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #437 to #446.
What does the Census say about the background of Mclaughlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclaughlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Hispanic (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 Mclaughlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (61,221 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mclaughlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Black (7.0%), Hispanic (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 Mclaughlin (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 Mclaughlin mean?
Son of Lochlainn, derived from the Irish Gaelic "Mac Lochlainn," meaning "son of the Scandinavian Viking chief." 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 Mclaughlin (24.08 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 Mclaughlin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.