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

McLeod, 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 McLeod surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McLeod in America

McLeod is the 1141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McLeod surname appeared 30,769 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname McLeod.

We can also compare 2010 data for McLeod 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 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McLeod

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

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

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

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