2000
#46,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Mcmeen
Derived from the Irish surname MacMathghamhna, referring to a descendant of a clergyman or scholar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 561 Americans carry the last name Mcmeen. That puts it at #46,865 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 610,970 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcmeen 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
561
1 in 610,970
Census rank
#46,865
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
489
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 489 bearers of the surname Mcmeen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46865th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmeen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcmeen
The surname McMeen is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the region of Inverness-shire. The name is a variant of the Gaelic surname MacMhuirich, which means "son of the mariner" or "son of the seafarer."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Scottish Clan records from the late 16th century, where a Gillespie McMeen is mentioned as a member of the Clan MacKenzie. This suggests that the McMeen family may have had close ties or allegiances to the powerful Clan MacKenzie during that time period.
In the 17th century, the McMeen name appears in several historical records, including the Scottish Parliamentary Rolls of 1641, where a James McMeen is listed as a landowner in the county of Inverness. This indicates that some members of the McMeen family had achieved a degree of wealth and status by that time.
As the centuries progressed, the McMeen family spread across Scotland and beyond. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Sir John McMeen (1792-1868), a Scottish-born merchant and philanthropist who made his fortune in the East India Company and later settled in England.
2. William McMeen (1804-1879), a Scottish-born architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Trades House.
3. Angus McMeen (1845-1921), a Scottish-born explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in mapping the Canadian Northwest Territories.
4. Margaret McMeen (1882-1964), a Scottish-born suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and social reforms in the early 20th century.
5. James McMeen (1920-2003), a Scottish-born artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraiture, whose works are featured in several prestigious galleries.
While the McMeen surname originated in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as Scottish immigrants settled in these regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcmeen
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmeen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcmeen 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 Mcmeen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 447
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 19
- Black or African American2.9% · 14
- Two or more races1.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcmeen
Mcmeen 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
#61,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 324
-102 bearers (-23.9%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 14,955 places
2020
#46,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 489
+165 bearers (+50.9%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 15,034 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,944 | 426 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #61,899 | 324 | 0.11 | -102 bearers (-23.9%) | Down 14,955 places |
| 2020 | #46,865 | 489 | 0.16 | +165 bearers (+50.9%) | Up 15,034 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 Mcmeen 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 | #61,899 | #46,865 | 24.3% |
| Count | 324 | 489 | 50.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.16 | 48.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcmeen bearers went from 324 to 489 (+50.9% change). The surname moved up 15,034 positions in the national ranking, going from #61,899 to #46,865.
FAQ
Mcmeen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcmeen?
Name Census estimates that about 561 living Americans carry the surname Mcmeen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 610,970 residents.
How common is Mcmeen?
Mcmeen ranks #46,865 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 489 people with the surname Mcmeen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (561), 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 Mcmeen.
Has Mcmeen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcmeen went from 324 recorded bearers to 489. That is an increase of 165 (+50.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #61,899 to #46,865.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcmeen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmeen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Mcmeen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (447 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcmeen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.9%), Black (2.9%). 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 Mcmeen (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 Mcmeen mean?
Derived from the Irish surname MacMathghamhna, referring to a descendant of a clergyman or scholar. 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 Mcmeen (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 are called Mcmeen?
Find out how common the surname Mcmeen is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.