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

McLendon, 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 McLendon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McLendon in America

McLendon is the 4193rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McLendon surname appeared 8,453 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname McLendon.

We can also compare 2010 data for McLendon 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 McLendon

The surname McLendon has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Gille Fhinnan," which translates to "servant of St. Finnan." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked or lived near a church or monastery dedicated to St. Finnan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Makgillenon," indicating its evolution over time.

The McLendon family is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll, located in western Scotland. Variations of the name include McLennon, McLennan, and MacLennan, reflecting the diverse spellings that emerged as the name spread throughout Scotland and beyond.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was John McLendon, a Scottish clergyman who served as the minister of Kilmarnock from 1557 to 1571. He played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation and was known for his opposition to the Catholic Church.

Another historical figure of note was Sir John McLendon (1604-1672), a Scottish soldier and landowner who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was knighted by King Charles I in recognition of his loyalty and service.

In the 18th century, the McLendon surname made its way to North America, with families settling in various regions, including Virginia and the Carolinas. One prominent individual from this period was Hugh McLendon (1720-1803), a Scottish-American planter and politician who served as a delegate to the South Carolina Provincial Congress during the American Revolution.

Fast forward to the 20th century, and we find John Burton McLendon Jr. (1915-1996), an American basketball coach and pioneer in the integration of college athletics. He is credited with being one of the first coaches to recruit African American players to a predominantly white university in the southern United States.

Throughout its history, the McLendon surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the remarkable journey of this Scottish name across continents and centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McLendon

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McLendon, 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!