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

McMillian, 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 McMillian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McMillian in America

McMillian is the 3043rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McMillian surname appeared 11,765 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 McMillian.

We can also compare 2010 data for McMillian 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 McMillian

The surname McMillian originated in Scotland during the late medieval period. It is a variant of the name MacMillan, derived from the Gaelic "mac" meaning "son of" and the personal name "Milian" or "Gillan". The name Milian likely originated from the Latin name "Aemilianus", meaning "favored one".

The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Gilbert McMilian, who was documented in the records of Whithorn, Wigtownshire in 1453. The name was also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Notable bearers in these early records include John McMylane, also spelled McMyllan, who was a resident of Ayrshire.

The McMillians were prominent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Isles. Their presence can be traced back to the 13th century, when they were followers of the powerful Clan Donald. In the 16th century, the McMillians were supporters of the MacDonalds of Dunyeg during the clan conflicts in the region.

The name McMillian can also be found in early records from Ireland, where it was often anglicized as McMullion or McMullin. One of the earliest recorded bearers in Ireland was John McMullin, who was listed in the Fiants of the County of Wexford in 1605.

Notable individuals with the surname McMillian throughout history include:

1. Sir Duncan McMillan (c. 1480-1552), a Scottish nobleman and supporter of the House of Argyll.
2. Angus McMillan (1810-1865), an Australian explorer and pastoralist, known for his expeditions in Gippsland, Victoria.
3. Charles McMillan (1856-1926), an American businessman and co-founder of the Washburn-Crosby Company, which later became General Mills.
4. Lachlan McMillan (1895-1971), a Scottish-born Australian architect who designed many notable buildings in Sydney.
5. Celestine McMillan (1918-2002), an American baseball player who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940s.

The name McMillian has also been associated with various place names, including McMillan Island in British Columbia, Canada, and McMillan Park in Washington, D.C., which was named after Senator James McMillan (1838-1902).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McMillian

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

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

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

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