2000
#6,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,152
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.91
Rare Last name
Mcmillin
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacMhaolain," meaning "son of the bald or tonsured one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,828 Americans carry the last name Mcmillin. That puts it at #6,431 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,812 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcmillin 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 Mcmillin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,812
Census rank
#6,431
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,082 bearers of the surname Mcmillin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6431st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcmillin
The surname McMillin has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic name MacMillan, which means "son of the tonsured one" or "son of the bald one." This name likely referred to a member of a religious order or a monk who had taken a vow of tonsure, the practice of shaving the crown of the head.
The earliest recorded instances of the name McMillin can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of documents containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. One such entry is that of Gillecrist McMullyn, a landholder from Ayrshire.
In the 16th century, the McMillin name was prominent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. Records from this period include references to individuals such as John McMillin, a landowner in Argyll in 1548, and Gillespie McMillin, a prominent figure in the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594.
As the McMillin clan migrated and settled in different parts of Scotland, various spelling variations emerged, including McMullin, McMullen, and McMullen. One notable bearer of this name was Sir John McMullen (1640-1718), a Scottish merchant and Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1684 to 1686.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, many McMillins and their spelling variants immigrated to Ulster, Ireland, as part of the Scottish Plantation of Ulster. From there, some members of the family later emigrated to North America, settling in regions such as Pennsylvania and Virginia. One of the earliest recorded McMillins in North America was John McMillin, who was born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1670 and later settled in Pennsylvania.
Another notable bearer of the McMillin name was John McMillan (1752-1833), a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and educator. He was born in Pennsylvania and played a significant role in founding several educational institutions, including Jefferson College (now Washington & Jefferson College) and Canonsburg Academy (now Washington & Jefferson College Preparatory School).
Throughout history, the McMillin surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, merchants, landowners, and military personnel. While the name may have evolved in its spelling over time, its Scottish roots and connection to the Gaelic language have remained a central part of its history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcmillin
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcmillin 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 Mcmillin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 4,539
- Two or more races4.1% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 193
- Black or African American1.5% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcmillin
Mcmillin 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
#6,393
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,323
+171 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 265 places
2020
#6,431
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,082
-241 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 38 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,128 | 5,152 | 1.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,393 | 5,323 | 1.80 | +171 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 265 places |
| 2020 | #6,431 | 5,082 | 1.70 | -241 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 38 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 Mcmillin 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 | #6,393 | #6,431 | -0.6% |
| Count | 5,323 | 5,082 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.80 | 1.70 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcmillin bearers went from 5,323 to 5,082 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 38 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,393 to #6,431.
FAQ
Mcmillin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcmillin?
Name Census estimates that about 5,828 living Americans carry the surname Mcmillin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,812 residents.
How common is Mcmillin?
Mcmillin ranks #6,431 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,082 people with the surname Mcmillin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,828), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mcmillin.
Has Mcmillin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcmillin went from 5,323 recorded bearers to 5,082. That is a decrease of 241 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,393 to #6,431.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcmillin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcmillin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (4,539 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcmillin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Mcmillin (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 Mcmillin mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacMhaolain," 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 Mcmillin (1.70 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 common is the surname Mcmillin?
Find out how many people are called Mcmillin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.