2000
#39,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 524
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Mclinden
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Fhìnden" meaning "son of the servant of the blond one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 562 Americans carry the last name Mclinden. That puts it at #46,793 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 609,883 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mclinden 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 Mclinden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
562
1 in 609,883
Census rank
#46,793
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
490
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 490 bearers of the surname Mclinden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46793rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclinden, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mclinden
The surname MCLINDEN is of Scottish origin, with its roots traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be a variant of the Scottish surname McLinden, derived from the Gaelic "mac Gille Fhinnein," meaning "son of the servant of St. Finnan."
This name is closely associated with the Scottish Highlands, particularly in regions like Argyll and Perthshire, where the veneration of St. Finnan was widespread. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in parish records and local histories from these areas.
One notable historical reference to the MCLINDEN surname can be found in the "Annals of Loch Cé," a 15th-century Irish chronicle. This manuscript mentions a "Gillebride McLinden" who was involved in a conflict with the O'Conors in the year 1418.
The MCLINDEN surname has seen various spellings over the centuries, including McLinden, McLyndyn, and McLynden. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices of the time.
Among the earliest recorded examples of individuals bearing the MCLINDEN surname are:
1. Angus MCLINDEN (c. 1590 – 1670), a prominent landowner and clan chief in Argyll.
2. Malcolm MCLINDEN (1625 – 1698), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who served in Paisley.
3. Catherine MCLINDEN (1710 – 1782), a notable figure in the Jacobite Risings, known for her support of the Stuart cause.
As the name spread beyond Scotland, it also gained recognition in other parts of the British Isles and, later, in North America. Notable individuals with the MCLINDEN surname include:
1. Robert MCLINDEN (1812 – 1893), an Irish-born politician and judge who served in Canada.
2. Elizabeth MCLINDEN (1873 – 1956), an American educator and advocate for the rights of the blind.
3. James MCLINDEN (1895 – 1972), a Scottish-born Canadian soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War I.
4. William MCLINDEN (1922 – 2008), an English author and historian known for his works on medieval Scotland.
5. Mary MCLINDEN (born 1962), an American disability rights activist and entrepreneur.
While the MCLINDEN surname may not be among the most common in the present day, its rich history and connections to Scottish heritage continue to be a source of pride for those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mclinden
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclinden, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mclinden 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 Mclinden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 444
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 19
- Two or more races2.2% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 6
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mclinden
Mclinden 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
#41,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 519
-5 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 2,387 places
2020
#46,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 490
-29 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 4,907 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,499 | 524 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #41,886 | 519 | 0.18 | -5 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 2,387 places |
| 2020 | #46,793 | 490 | 0.16 | -29 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 4,907 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 Mclinden 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 | #41,886 | #46,793 | -11.7% |
| Count | 519 | 490 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.16 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mclinden bearers went from 519 to 490 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 4,907 positions in the national ranking, going from #41,886 to #46,793.
FAQ
Mclinden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mclinden?
Name Census estimates that about 562 living Americans carry the surname Mclinden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 609,883 residents.
How common is Mclinden?
Mclinden ranks #46,793 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 490 people with the surname Mclinden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (562), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mclinden.
Has Mclinden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mclinden went from 519 recorded bearers to 490. That is a decrease of 29 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #41,886 to #46,793.
What does the Census say about the background of Mclinden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclinden, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Mclinden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (444 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mclinden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Mclinden (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 Mclinden mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Fhìnden" meaning "son of the servant of the blond one." 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 Mclinden (0.16 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 Mclinden?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.