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

McMillen, 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 McMillen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McMillen in America

McMillen is the 3444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McMillen surname appeared 10,371 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname McMillen.

We can also compare 2010 data for McMillen 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 McMillen

The surname MCMILLEN has its roots in Scotland, originating in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Mhaolain," which translates to "son of the tonsured one" or "son of the servant/devotee." This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by the descendants of a religious figure or someone associated with the church.

The earliest known records of the name appear in various Scottish charters and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For instance, a charter from the reign of King Alexander III, dated around 1249, mentions a "Gillemor MacMolane" as a witness. This spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.

In the 16th century, the MCMILLEN name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles, indicating a strong presence in these areas. The surname also has connections to the MacMillan clan, with some historical accounts suggesting that the two names may have shared a common ancestry or been used interchangeably.

One notable figure bearing the MCMILLEN name was John McMillen (c. 1670-1753), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who immigrated to Ireland and later played a significant role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in America. He is recognized as one of the founders of the Presbytery of Philadelphia in 1706.

Another historical figure of note was Samuel McMillen (1742-1804), an American soldier and politician who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He later became a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the United States House of Representatives.

In the 19th century, James McMillen (1838-1902) was a prominent American businessman and banker from Ohio. He founded the Ohio National Bank and served as its president for several years, contributing to the state's economic development.

Across the Atlantic, John McMillen (1855-1936) was a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia and played a role in the development of the state's mining industry.

Additionally, Edward McMillen (1886-1973) was an American artist and educator known for his landscape paintings and his contributions to the art scene in New Mexico, where he taught at the University of New Mexico.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the MCMILLEN surname throughout history, contributing to various fields and leaving their mark in different parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McMillen

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

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

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

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