2000
#10,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,913
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Mcmillon
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 3,643 Americans carry the last name Mcmillon. That puts it at #9,744 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,086 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcmillon 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
3.6K
1 in 94,086
Census rank
#9,744
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,177 bearers of the surname Mcmillon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9744th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.1%. The next largest groups are White (34.4%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcmillon
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.1%. The next largest groups are White (34.4%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcmillon 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 Mcmillon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American55.1% · 1,750
- White34.4% · 1,093
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 154
- Two or more races4.7% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcmillon
Mcmillon 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
#10,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,146
+233 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 78 places
2020
#9,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,177
+31 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,167 | 2,913 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,245 | 3,146 | 1.07 | +233 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 78 places |
| 2020 | #9,744 | 3,177 | 1.06 | +31 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 501 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 Mcmillon 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 | #10,245 | #9,744 | 4.9% |
| Count | 3,146 | 3,177 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 1.06 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcmillon bearers went from 3,146 to 3,177 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 501 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,245 to #9,744.
FAQ
Mcmillon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcmillon?
Name Census estimates that about 3,643 living Americans carry the surname Mcmillon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,086 residents.
How common is Mcmillon?
Mcmillon ranks #9,744 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,177 people with the surname Mcmillon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,643), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Mcmillon.
Has Mcmillon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcmillon went from 3,146 recorded bearers to 3,177. That is an increase of 31 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,245 to #9,744.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcmillon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmillon, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.1%. The next largest groups are White (34.4%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcmillon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.1% (1,750 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcmillon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (55.1%), White (34.4%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Mcmillon (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 Mcmillon mean?
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 Mcmillon (1.06 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 Mcmillon?
You can see how common the surname Mcmillon is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.