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

McLemore, 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 McLemore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McLemore in America

McLemore is the 3306th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McLemore surname appeared 10,850 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname McLemore.

We can also compare 2010 data for McLemore 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 McLemore

The surname McLemore is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning son and "leòmhann" meaning lion, translating to "son of the lion." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone known for their bravery or strength, akin to the qualities attributed to a lion.

The earliest recorded instances of the McLemore name can be traced back to the late 16th century in the Scottish Lowlands, specifically in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. Historical records indicate that the name was initially spelled as "McLemour" or "McLemor" before evolving into its modern form.

One of the earliest documented references to the McLemore name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles and landowners who were compelled to swear fealty to King Edward I of England. The name "Gilmor McLemour" appears in these rolls, indicating the presence of the surname in Scotland during that period.

In the 17th century, the McLemore family established themselves as landowners in the parish of Dunlop, Ayrshire. Records from this time reveal the names of prominent individuals such as Robert McLemore (born 1612) and James McLemore (born 1639), both of whom were listed as landowners in the area.

During the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, the name McLemore was associated with the Presbyterian faith. One notable figure from this era was Reverend John McLemore (1567-1632), a prominent Presbyterian minister who played a role in the establishment of the Reformed Church in Scotland.

As the McLemore family expanded and migrated, the name can be found in various historical records and manuscripts across the British Isles. For instance, in the 18th century, a branch of the McLemore family settled in County Antrim, Ireland, where they were landowners and farmers.

Other notable individuals with the McLemore surname include:

1. Sir Alexander McLemore (1785-1857), a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars.
2. Jane McLemore (1805-1878), an American author and poet from Tennessee, known for her works depicting life in the American South.
3. William McLemore (1832-1901), a prominent businessman and landowner from Mississippi, who played a significant role in the development of the state's agricultural industry.
4. John McLemore (1857-1920), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
5. Marian McLemore (1920-2005), an American artist and educator, known for her contributions to the development of modern art education in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McLemore

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

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 McLemore 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 McLemore 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 McLemore was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!