2000
#1,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,423
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.91
Uncommon Last name
Mcleod
A Scottish surname meaning "son of Leod," likely referring to a Viking ancestor named Ljótr.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,813 Americans carry the last name Mcleod. That puts it at #1,132 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,846 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcleod 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 Mcleod with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,846
Census rank
#1,132
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,359 bearers of the surname Mcleod in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1132nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcleod, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcleod
The surname McLeod has its roots in Scotland, originating from the Gaelic "MacLeòid" which means "son of Leod." The name is believed to have originated on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, where the MacLeod clan was historically based.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 12th century, when a certain Gillecolm MacLeod is mentioned in the Chronicles of the Kings of Norway. This suggests that the MacLeod clan had already established itself as a prominent force in the Hebrides by that time.
In the 13th century, the MacLeods gained control over large parts of the Isle of Skye, which became another stronghold for the clan. The name appears in various medieval records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where individuals like Torkill MacLeod and Tormod MacLeod are mentioned in the 14th century.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname was Sir Rory Mor MacLeod (c. 1570-1626), who was known as the "Great Chief" of the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan. He played a significant role in the clan's affairs and was involved in several conflicts with other clans.
Another notable figure was Norman MacLeod (1812-1872), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the editor of Good Words magazine. He was also a prominent figure in the Free Church of Scotland and a prolific author.
In the 19th century, John MacLeod (1857-1911), a Scottish-born Australian politician, held various positions in the government of South Australia, including serving as the Premier from 1899 to 1901.
Iain Norman MacLeod (1913-1970) was a British politician who served as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Leader of the House of Commons in the 1960s.
The name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, which has been the ancestral home of the MacLeod clan for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcleod
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcleod, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcleod 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 Mcleod surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.3% · 20,123
- Black or African American24.2% · 7,349
- Two or more races4.5% · 1,356
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 1,096
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 220
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 215
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcleod
Mcleod 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
#1,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,769
+1,346 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 10.43
Rank movement Down 53 places
2020
#1,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,359
-410 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 10.16
Rank movement Up 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,088 | 29,423 | 10.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,141 | 30,769 | 10.43 | +1,346 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 53 places |
| 2020 | #1,132 | 30,359 | 10.16 | -410 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 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 Mcleod 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 | #1,141 | #1,132 | 0.8% |
| Count | 30,769 | 30,359 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 10.43 | 10.16 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcleod bearers went from 30,769 to 30,359 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,141 to #1,132.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcleod
FAQ
Mcleod surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcleod?
Name Census estimates that about 34,813 living Americans carry the surname Mcleod. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,846 residents.
How common is Mcleod?
Mcleod ranks #1,132 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,359 people with the surname Mcleod. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,813), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Mcleod.
Has Mcleod become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcleod went from 30,769 recorded bearers to 30,359. That is a decrease of 410 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,141 to #1,132.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcleod?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcleod, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Mcleod in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (20,123 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcleod appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.3%), Black (24.2%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Mcleod (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 Mcleod mean?
A Scottish surname meaning "son of Leod," likely referring to a Viking ancestor named Ljótr. 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 Mcleod (10.16 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 Mcleod?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.