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

McMillon, 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 McMillon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McMillon in America

McMillon is the 10245th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McMillon surname appeared 3,146 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McMillon.

We can also compare 2010 data for McMillon 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 McMillon

The surname McMillon has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "milln," which refers to a mill worker or someone employed at a mill. This suggests the name's earliest bearers were involved in the operation or ownership of mills, a vital industry in medieval times.

One of the earliest known records of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage renderings made to King Edward I of England. Here, a certain Willelmus Melmyln from Lanarkshire is noted, likely representing an early spelling variation.

By the mid-15th century, the name had evolved to spellings closer to its modern form, as evidenced by the appearance of a John McMyllyn in the records of Aberdeen in 1457. This trend continued, with a David McMyllon noted in the Stirlingshire region in 1512.

The McMillon name has deep roots in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in areas like Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. The name is also associated with the historic territories of Galloway and Strathclyde, suggesting a possible connection to the ancient Britons who inhabited those regions.

While not among the most prominent Scottish surnames, the McMillon name has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Robert McMillon (c. 1580-1654), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1644.

Another distinguished bearer was Sir John McMillon (1670-1742), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1722 to 1724. His wealth and influence were considerable, and he played a role in the city's cultural and economic development during his tenure.

In the 19th century, James McMillon (1810-1892) was a Scottish engineer and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of the steam engine and early railroad technology. His innovations helped pave the way for the expansion of rail transportation across Britain and beyond.

More recently, the novelist and playwright Agnes McMillon (1905-1993) gained recognition for her works exploring themes of Scottish identity and the struggles of working-class life. Her plays, such as "The Canny Folk" and "The Gowden Gates," were widely acclaimed for their authenticity and emotional depth.

Finally, Duncan McMillon (1928-2018) was a prominent Scottish businessman and philanthropist. As the founder and CEO of McMillon Enterprises, a successful construction and development firm, he amassed considerable wealth, a portion of which he donated to various charitable causes, particularly those focused on education and healthcare in Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McMillon

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!