2000
#8,972
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,352
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Mcmillion
A surname of Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Maoláin," meaning "son of the bald or tonsured one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,884 Americans carry the last name Mcmillion. That puts it at #9,234 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,248 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcmillion 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
3.9K
1 in 88,248
Census rank
#9,234
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,387 bearers of the surname Mcmillion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9234th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillion, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcmillion
The surname McMillion is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "mille" meaning "thousand" or "many." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who had a large family or was part of a numerous clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "McMyllan," which is likely an early spelling variation.
During the Middle Ages, the McMillion clan was concentrated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles. The name is closely associated with the Isle of Islay, where several notable McMillion families resided.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Angus McMillion was recorded as the Chief of the McMillion clan on Islay. He played a significant role in the Scottish clan wars of the time and was known for his military prowess.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Lachlan McMillion, who lived in the late 17th century. He was a respected scholar and poet, renowned for his contributions to Scottish literature and his preservation of Gaelic culture.
In the 18th century, the McMillion surname gained prominence in the Scottish diaspora, as many members of the clan immigrated to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, following the Highland Clearances.
One of the earliest McMillion settlers in America was Donald McMillion, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1730. He went on to establish a successful farming community in the colonial era.
Another notable figure was Captain James McMillion, a Scottish-born sailor who served in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was commended for his bravery and leadership in several naval battles against the French in the early 19th century.
As the McMillion clan continued to spread across the globe, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including McMyllan, McMullan, and McMullen, among others. However, the core meaning and Scottish heritage of the name have remained intact throughout its long history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcmillion
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillion, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcmillion 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 Mcmillion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.9% · 2,334
- Black or African American23.7% · 802
- Two or more races4.6% · 157
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcmillion
Mcmillion 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
#9,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,415
+63 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 548 places
2020
#9,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,387
-28 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,972 | 3,352 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,520 | 3,415 | 1.16 | +63 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 548 places |
| 2020 | #9,234 | 3,387 | 1.13 | -28 bearers (-0.8%) | Up 286 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 Mcmillion 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 | #9,520 | #9,234 | 3.0% |
| Count | 3,415 | 3,387 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.13 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcmillion bearers went from 3,415 to 3,387 (-0.8% change). The surname moved up 286 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,520 to #9,234.
FAQ
Mcmillion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcmillion?
Name Census estimates that about 3,884 living Americans carry the surname Mcmillion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,248 residents.
How common is Mcmillion?
Mcmillion ranks #9,234 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,387 people with the surname Mcmillion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,884), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Mcmillion.
Has Mcmillion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcmillion went from 3,415 recorded bearers to 3,387. That is a decrease of 28 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,520 to #9,234.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcmillion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillion, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcmillion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.9% (2,334 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcmillion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.9%), Black (23.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mcmillion (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 Mcmillion mean?
A surname of Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Maoláin," 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 Mcmillion (1.13 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 Mcmillion?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.