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

McMeekan, 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 McMeekan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McMeekan in America

McMeekan is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McMeekan surname appeared 189 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McMeekan.

We can also compare 2010 data for McMeekan 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 McMeekan

The surname McMeekan is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic "Mac Mhìchein" or "son of Mìchein". The name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire, during the Middle Ages.

The name Mìchein itself is a diminutive form of the Gaelic name Michael, which means "who is like God". This suggests that the McMeekan surname may have been initially borne by descendants of an individual named Michael or a variation thereof.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McMeekan surname can be found in the 16th century, in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. In these records, a person named John McMeekan is mentioned in association with the town of Ayr in 1528.

The surname underwent various spelling variations over time, including McMeikan, McMiken, and McMeeken, reflecting the differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions across different regions of Scotland.

Notable individuals with the McMeekan surname throughout history include:

1. Reverend John McMeekan (1789-1858), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who served in Lisburn, Ireland, and was known for his philanthropic efforts.
2. William McMeekan (1845-1923), a Scottish-born architect who practiced in New Zealand and designed several notable buildings, including the Dunedin Town Hall.
3. Alexander McMeekan (1857-1930), a Scottish-born businessman and politician who served as a member of the New Zealand Parliament for the City of Dunedin electorate from 1905 to 1908.
4. James McMeekan (1876-1965), a Scottish-born farmer and local politician in New Zealand, who served as the Mayor of Waitaki County from 1935 to 1941.
5. David McMeekan (born 1954), a Scottish author and journalist known for his books on Scottish history and culture, including "The Quintinshill Conspiracy" and "The McDougall File".

While the McMeekan surname is not among the most common in Scotland, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, particularly in Scotland and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McMeekan

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

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

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

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