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

McMillan, 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 McMillan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McMillan in America

McMillan is the 860th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McMillan surname appeared 40,237 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname McMillan.

We can also compare 2010 data for McMillan 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 McMillan

The surname MCMILLAN is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "millan" which is a personal name meaning "bald". It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 12th century, in the region of Argyll and Bute in western Scotland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various Scottish medieval records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list several individuals with the name. One of the earliest known bearers was Gillemichel M'Millan, who was recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1328.

The name MCMILLAN is also associated with the ancient Scottish clan of the same name, which had its seat in the district of Cowal in Argyll. The clan claims descent from a 13th-century ancestor named Somhairle, or Samuel, who was nicknamed "Mac Gillemhaoil" or "Son of the Bald Lad".

In the 16th century, the MCMILLAN clan played a significant role in the infamous Lorn Feuds, a series of bitter conflicts between rival clans in the region. One of the most notable figures of this era was Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy, who married Grizel MCMILLAN in 1558, strengthening the alliance between the two clans.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname MCMILLAN have achieved prominence in various fields. One notable example is William MCMILLAN (1828-1896), a Scottish-American industrialist who founded the McMILLAN Company, one of the largest iron and steel manufacturing firms in the United States during the 19th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was John MCMILLAN (1670-1753), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who played a key role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in the American colonies. He founded several churches in Pennsylvania and is considered a pioneer of Presbyterianism in the United States.

In the world of literature, two prominent figures with the surname MCMILLAN are the Scottish novelist Margaret MCMILLAN (1915-1988) and the American writer Terry MCMILLAN (born 1951), best known for her novel "Waiting to Exhale".

The name MCMILLAN has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as the village of Millhouse, near Kirkcudbright, which was historically known as "Milmachdub" or "MCMILLAN's farm".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McMillan

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

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

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

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