2000
#16,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,666
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.62
Rare Last name
Mcmiller
A Scottish surname meaning "son of a miller" or relating to someone associated with a mill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,218 Americans carry the last name Mcmiller. That puts it at #14,740 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,533 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcmiller 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
2.2K
1 in 154,533
Census rank
#14,740
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,934 bearers of the surname Mcmiller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14740th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmiller, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.1%. The next largest groups are White (10.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcmiller
The surname McMiller has its roots in Scotland, dating back to the medieval era. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was originally derived from the given name of the father or an ancestor. The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" is a Gaelic term meaning "son of," and "Miller" is an occupational surname referring to a person who operated a mill, typically a grain mill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England after the Scottish Wars of Independence. In this record, the name appears as "Millar," which was likely a precursor to the modern spelling.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was commonly found in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and Lanarkshire. These areas were known for their numerous watermills, which were essential for processing grains and other agricultural products.
In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John McMiller, a Scottish landowner and member of the nobility. He was born in 1525 and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Scotland, advocating for religious reform and supporting the establishment of the Church of Scotland.
Another historical figure with the surname was Robert McMiller, a Scottish philosopher and educator who lived from 1690 to 1762. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and served as a professor at the University of Glasgow, where he taught moral philosophy and logic.
In the 18th century, the name gained recognition through the work of James McMiller, a Scottish poet and writer born in 1737. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Seasons," which celebrated the beauty of nature and rural life in Scotland.
During the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir William McMiller, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1810 to 1892. He amassed a considerable fortune through his successful textile manufacturing business and donated a significant portion of his wealth to establish educational institutions and support charitable causes.
The surname McMiller has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McMiller's Glen and McMiller's Burn, which were likely named after individuals or families bearing the name who lived in or owned land in those areas.
While the spelling and pronunciation of the name may have evolved over time, the surname McMiller remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and history of Scotland, reflecting the country's traditions and the importance of occupations in shaping family names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcmiller
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmiller, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.1%. The next largest groups are White (10.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcmiller 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 Mcmiller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American81.1% · 1,568
- White10.1% · 196
- Two or more races5.6% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcmiller
Mcmiller 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
#15,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,911
+245 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 654 places
2020
#14,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,934
+23 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,001 | 1,666 | 0.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,347 | 1,911 | 0.65 | +245 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 654 places |
| 2020 | #14,740 | 1,934 | 0.65 | +23 bearers (+1.2%) | Up 607 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 Mcmiller 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 | #15,347 | #14,740 | 4.0% |
| Count | 1,911 | 1,934 | 1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.65 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcmiller bearers went from 1,911 to 1,934 (+1.2% change). The surname moved up 607 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,347 to #14,740.
FAQ
Mcmiller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcmiller?
Name Census estimates that about 2,218 living Americans carry the surname Mcmiller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,533 residents.
How common is Mcmiller?
Mcmiller ranks #14,740 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,934 people with the surname Mcmiller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcmiller.
Has Mcmiller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcmiller went from 1,911 recorded bearers to 1,934. That is an increase of 23 (+1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,347 to #14,740.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcmiller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmiller, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.1%. The next largest groups are White (10.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcmiller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (1,568 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcmiller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (81.1%), White (10.1%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Mcmiller (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 Mcmiller mean?
A Scottish surname meaning "son of a miller" or relating to someone associated with a mill. 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 Mcmiller (0.65 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 have the last name Mcmiller?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Mcmiller at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.