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

McMahan, 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 McMahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McMahan in America

McMahan is the 2522nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McMahan surname appeared 14,368 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname McMahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for McMahan 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 McMahan

The surname McMahan originated in Scotland and Ireland during the medieval period. It is a patronymic surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "MacMathghamhna," which means "son of the bear." This name likely referred to a person with a bear-like appearance or characteristics.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname McMahan can be found in Scottish and Irish records from the 13th and 14th centuries. The name was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Highlands and the northern counties of Ireland, where it was often spelled as "MacMaughan," "MacMahon," or "MacMathghamhna."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Domhnall MacMathghamhna, who was a Scottish chieftain from Argyll in the early 14th century. He is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.

In the 15th century, the McMahan surname appeared in several legal documents and land charters in the counties of Antrim and Down in Northern Ireland. One notable example is Seamus MacMaughan, who was granted lands in Antrim in the 1460s.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many McMahans migrated from Scotland and Ireland to other parts of the British Isles, as well as to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded McMahans in America was John McMahan, who arrived in Pennsylvania in the late 17th century.

Other notable bearers of the McMahan surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Brian MacMahon (c. 1480-1552), an Irish chieftain and leader of the MacMahon clan in County Monaghan.
2. Hugh McMahan (1695-1769), an Irish-born American surveyor and pioneer who helped establish the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
3. John McMahan (1756-1824), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Kentucky.
4. Bernard McMahan (1810-1887), an Irish-born Australian politician and member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales.
5. James McMahan (1820-1885), an American Civil War soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Jonesboro.

The McMahan surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Ireland, where it was common in counties like Monaghan, Fermanagh, and Tyrone. Examples include the townlands of McMahon's Quarter and McMahon's Island.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McMahan

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

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

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

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