2000
#4,039
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,079
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.99
Rare Last name
Mclendon
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Fhinnein," meaning "son of the servant of Saint Finnan."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,264 Americans carry the last name Mclendon. That puts it at #4,244 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,999 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mclendon 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
9.3K
1 in 36,999
Census rank
#4,244
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,079 bearers of the surname Mclendon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4244th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclendon, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mclendon
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclendon, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mclendon 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 Mclendon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.8% · 5,313
- Black or African American26.1% · 2,109
- Two or more races4.2% · 338
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 249
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mclendon
Mclendon 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
#4,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,453
+374 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 154 places
2020
#4,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,079
-374 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.70
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,039 | 8,079 | 2.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,193 | 8,453 | 2.87 | +374 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 154 places |
| 2020 | #4,244 | 8,079 | 2.70 | -374 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 51 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 Mclendon 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 | #4,193 | #4,244 | -1.2% |
| Count | 8,453 | 8,079 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.87 | 2.70 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mclendon bearers went from 8,453 to 8,079 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,193 to #4,244.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mclendon
FAQ
Mclendon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mclendon?
Name Census estimates that about 9,264 living Americans carry the surname Mclendon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,999 residents.
How common is Mclendon?
Mclendon ranks #4,244 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,079 people with the surname Mclendon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,264), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mclendon.
Has Mclendon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mclendon went from 8,453 recorded bearers to 8,079. That is a decrease of 374 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,193 to #4,244.
What does the Census say about the background of Mclendon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclendon, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.8%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Mclendon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.8% (5,313 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mclendon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.8%), Black (26.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Mclendon (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 Mclendon mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Fhinnein," meaning "son of the servant of Saint Finnan." 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 Mclendon (2.70 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 Mclendon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.