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

McLennan, 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 McLennan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McLennan in America

McLennan is the 12729th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McLennan surname appeared 2,425 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McLennan.

We can also compare 2010 data for McLennan 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 McLennan

The surname McLennan is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Mac Gille Fhinneain, which translates to "son of the servant of St. Finnan." The name is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where a person named Gillemichel McGillefynnyn is mentioned. This is likely an early spelling variation of the surname.

In the 16th century, the McLennans were a prominent clan in the Scottish Highlands, and their ancestral lands were located in the area around Loch Arkaig in Lochaber. The clan was known for their support of the Jacobite cause during the 17th and 18th centuries.

A notable figure from this era was Sir John McLennan, who served as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Jacobite army during the Rising of 1745. He was born around 1700 and fought alongside Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Another historical reference can be found in the Records of the Privy Council of Scotland from the late 16th century, which mention a John McGillefynnane involved in a land dispute. This demonstrates the use of the name and its variations during that time period.

In the 18th century, the surname spread beyond Scotland, with individuals bearing the name appearing in records in Ireland and North America. One example is John McLennan, a Scottish Jacobite who fled to Ireland after the defeat at Culloden and later immigrated to North Carolina in the United States, where he settled in the late 1700s.

Other notable individuals with the surname McLennan include:

1. Hugh McLennan (1784-1820), a Scottish poet and songwriter from Argyll.
2. John Ferguson McLennan (1827-1881), a Scottish jurist and social anthropologist, known for his contributions to the study of kinship systems.
3. John McLennan (1855-1935), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
4. Evan McLennan (1861-1935), a Scottish-Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
5. John McLennan (1876-1955), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Vancouver North.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McLennan

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

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

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

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