2000
#3,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,012
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.08
Uncommon Last name
Mcmillian
A Scottish or Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Mhaolain," meaning "son of the bald or tonsured one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,908 Americans carry the last name Mcmillian. That puts it at #3,122 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,554 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcmillian 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcmillian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,554
Census rank
#3,122
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,256 bearers of the surname Mcmillian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3122nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillian, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.4%. The next largest groups are White (34.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcmillian
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillian, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.4%. The next largest groups are White (34.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcmillian 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 Mcmillian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.4% · 6,349
- White34.3% · 3,862
- Two or more races4.4% · 496
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 301
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 211
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcmillian
Mcmillian 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
#3,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,765
+753 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 3.99
Rank movement Down 23 places
2020
#3,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,256
-509 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 3.77
Rank movement Down 79 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,020 | 11,012 | 4.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,043 | 11,765 | 3.99 | +753 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 23 places |
| 2020 | #3,122 | 11,256 | 3.77 | -509 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 79 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 Mcmillian 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 | #3,043 | #3,122 | -2.6% |
| Count | 11,765 | 11,256 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.99 | 3.77 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcmillian bearers went from 11,765 to 11,256 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 79 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,043 to #3,122.
FAQ
Mcmillian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcmillian?
Name Census estimates that about 12,908 living Americans carry the surname Mcmillian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,554 residents.
How common is Mcmillian?
Mcmillian ranks #3,122 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,256 people with the surname Mcmillian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,908), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Mcmillian.
Has Mcmillian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcmillian went from 11,765 recorded bearers to 11,256. That is a decrease of 509 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,043 to #3,122.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcmillian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillian, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.4%. The next largest groups are White (34.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Mcmillian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.4% (6,349 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcmillian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.4%), White (34.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Mcmillian (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 Mcmillian mean?
A Scottish or Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Mhaolain," meaning "son of the bald or tonsured one." 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 Mcmillian (3.77 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 surname Mcmillian?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.