2000
#6,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,434
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.64
Rare Last name
Mcloughlin
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Lochlainn," meaning "son of Lochlann" (a Norse personal name meaning "fjord land").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,271 Americans carry the last name Mcloughlin. That puts it at #7,041 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,026 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcloughlin 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 Mcloughlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 65,026
Census rank
#7,041
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,597 bearers of the surname Mcloughlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7041st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcloughlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcloughlin
The surname MCLOUGHLIN is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Mac Loughlin or McLoughlin, meaning "son of Loughlin." This name can be traced back to the 9th or 10th century in Ireland. The prefix "Mac" indicates "son of," and Loughlin was a common personal name at the time, derived from the Gaelic name Lochlann, meaning "from Norway" or "Viking."
The name MCLOUGHLIN was prominent among the Gaelic families of County Sligo in the province of Connacht. One of the earliest recorded bearers of this name was Gillachrist MacLoughlin, who was mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters in 1033 as the Chief of Cenél Conaill. The Cenél Conaill was an influential kindred or dynasty in the region now known as County Donegal.
In the 12th century, the Annals of Inisfallen recorded a reference to Muircheartach MacLoughlin, who was the King of Aileach and ruled over a significant portion of Ulster from 1166 to 1196. He was a powerful figure during the Norman invasion of Ireland and was known for his resistance against the Anglo-Norman forces.
Another notable bearer of the name was Aodhagán Ó Loughlin, an Irish poet and historian who lived in the 14th century. He was a member of the learned family of Ó Loughlin from County Sligo and is known for his work on the history of the Uí Briúin dynasties.
In the 16th century, the MCLOUGHLIN name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were records of appointments and grants made by the English Crown in Ireland. One such entry from 1586 mentions Patrick McLoughlin of County Sligo, who was granted a pardon for his participation in the Desmond Rebellions.
One of the most famous bearers of the MCLOUGHLIN name was James McLoughlin (1807-1876), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He was also involved in the construction of the Erie Canal and played a significant role in the development of transportation infrastructure in New York State.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcloughlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcloughlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcloughlin 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 Mcloughlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 4,198
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 191
- Two or more races2.7% · 126
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 38
- Black or African American0.7% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcloughlin
Mcloughlin 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
#7,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,661
+227 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Down 206 places
2020
#7,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,597
-64 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Up 133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,968 | 4,434 | 1.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,174 | 4,661 | 1.58 | +227 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 206 places |
| 2020 | #7,041 | 4,597 | 1.54 | -64 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 133 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 Mcloughlin 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 | #7,174 | #7,041 | 1.9% |
| Count | 4,661 | 4,597 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.58 | 1.54 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcloughlin bearers went from 4,661 to 4,597 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,174 to #7,041.
FAQ
Mcloughlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcloughlin?
Name Census estimates that about 5,271 living Americans carry the surname Mcloughlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,026 residents.
How common is Mcloughlin?
Mcloughlin ranks #7,041 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,597 people with the surname Mcloughlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,271), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mcloughlin.
Has Mcloughlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcloughlin went from 4,661 recorded bearers to 4,597. That is a decrease of 64 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,174 to #7,041.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcloughlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcloughlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Mcloughlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (4,198 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcloughlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Mcloughlin (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 Mcloughlin mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Lochlainn," meaning "son of Lochlann" (a Norse personal name meaning "fjord land"). 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 Mcloughlin (1.54 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 share the surname Mcloughlin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.