2000
#12,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,290
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Mclin
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "a pool or pond" in Gaelic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,636 Americans carry the last name Mclin. That puts it at #12,791 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,028 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mclin 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
2.6K
1 in 130,028
Census rank
#12,791
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,299 bearers of the surname Mclin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12791st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclin, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Black (44.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mclin
The surname MCLIN is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "mac", meaning "son of", and "Lín", a personal name or nickname referring to someone with flaxen or fair hair.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Here, the name appears as "Maclyn".
During the 14th century, the name is mentioned in several Scottish charters and land grants, often in the spellings "Maclyne" or "Maklyne". These documents indicate that the MCLIN family held lands and properties in various parts of the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir John Maklyne, a Scottish knight who served as a trusted advisor to King James III. He played a crucial role in the negotiations between Scotland and England during the latter part of the century.
The MCLIN surname also appears in the records of the Scottish Parliament in the 16th century, with several members of the family serving as representatives for their respective regions. One such individual was Robert Maklyne, who was a member of the Parliament in 1560.
In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence in the Scottish Borders region, where several members of the MCLIN family were involved in the textile trade, particularly in the production and export of wool and linen. One notable figure from this era was William Maclyne (1620-1685), a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Jedburgh.
As the surname spread throughout Scotland and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, such as "McLin", "MacLyn", and "MacLean". These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and personal preferences.
Other notable individuals with the surname MCLIN include:
1. Alexander Maclyne (1770-1832), a Scottish poet and playwright known for his works on rural life in the Scottish Highlands.
2. Margaret McLin (1832-1901), a Scottish-born American educator and advocate for women's rights, who played a significant role in establishing several schools and educational institutions in the Midwestern United States.
3. Sir John McLin (1845-1926), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman, who served as a member of the Australian Parliament and was instrumental in the development of the mining industry in Western Australia.
4. Robert McLin (1880-1958), a Scottish-American artist and illustrator, known for his works depicting scenes from Scottish folklore and history.
5. Janet McLin (1904-1992), a renowned Scottish author and journalist, whose novels and short stories explored themes of family, identity, and the challenges faced by women in the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mclin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclin, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Black (44.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mclin 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 Mclin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.8% · 1,098
- Black or African American44.6% · 1,026
- Two or more races3.7% · 86
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mclin
Mclin 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
#12,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,459
+169 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 157 places
2020
#12,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,299
-160 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 204 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,430 | 2,290 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,587 | 2,459 | 0.83 | +169 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 157 places |
| 2020 | #12,791 | 2,299 | 0.77 | -160 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 204 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 Mclin 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 | #12,587 | #12,791 | -1.6% |
| Count | 2,459 | 2,299 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.77 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mclin bearers went from 2,459 to 2,299 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 204 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,587 to #12,791.
FAQ
Mclin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mclin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,636 living Americans carry the surname Mclin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,028 residents.
How common is Mclin?
Mclin ranks #12,791 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,299 people with the surname Mclin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,636), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mclin.
Has Mclin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mclin went from 2,459 recorded bearers to 2,299. That is a decrease of 160 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,587 to #12,791.
What does the Census say about the background of Mclin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclin, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Black (44.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mclin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.8% (1,098 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mclin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.8%), Black (44.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mclin (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 Mclin mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "a pool or pond" in Gaelic. 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 Mclin (0.77 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 common is the surname Mclin?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Mclin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.