2000
#1,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,896
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.60
Uncommon Last name
Mcnamara
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Conmara," meaning "son of the hound of the sea."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,650 Americans carry the last name Mcnamara. That puts it at #1,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,560 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcnamara 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 Mcnamara with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
30K
1 in 11,560
Census rank
#1,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,856 bearers of the surname Mcnamara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnamara, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcnamara
The surname McNamara is an Irish surname that originated in County Clare in the west of Ireland. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words 'Mac' meaning 'son of' and 'Namara' which means 'celebrated'. The name can therefore be translated as 'son of the celebrated one'.
The McNamara clan were a powerful and influential family in County Clare during the Middle Ages. They were part of the Dalcassian dynasty that ruled the region and were descended from the legendary High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, who reigned from 1002 to 1014.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the McNamara name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history that dates back to the 12th century. The annals make reference to several members of the McNamara clan, including Domhnall McNamara, who was killed in a battle in 1242.
The McNamara clan were known for their military prowess and played a significant role in many battles and conflicts throughout Irish history. One of the most famous members of the clan was Sioda Cam McNamara, who was a renowned warrior and leader in the 16th century. He fought alongside the Earl of Desmond in the Second Desmond Rebellion against the English crown.
Another notable figure with the McNamara surname was John McNamara, who was born in 1776 and was a prominent Irish rebel during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was later captured and hanged for his involvement in the rebellion.
In the 19th century, Michael McNamara, who was born in 1828, was a prominent Irish politician and Member of Parliament for the Irish Parliamentary Party. He was a staunch supporter of Irish independence and played a key role in the struggle for Home Rule in Ireland.
The McNamara surname has also been associated with several successful individuals in various fields, such as Patrick McNamara, who was born in 1894 and was a renowned American architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in New York City.
Overall, the McNamara surname has a rich and fascinating history that can be traced back to the powerful Dalcassian dynasty in medieval Ireland. The name continues to be a popular surname in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcnamara
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnamara, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcnamara 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 Mcnamara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 23,841
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 864
- Two or more races2.8% · 721
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 228
- Black or African American0.6% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcnamara
Mcnamara 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
#1,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,534
+638 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 9.00
Rank movement Down 84 places
2020
#1,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,856
-678 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 8.65
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,245 | 25,896 | 9.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,329 | 26,534 | 9.00 | +638 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 84 places |
| 2020 | #1,334 | 25,856 | 8.65 | -678 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 5 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 Mcnamara 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 | #1,329 | #1,334 | -0.4% |
| Count | 26,534 | 25,856 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 9.00 | 8.65 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcnamara bearers went from 26,534 to 25,856 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,329 to #1,334.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcnamara
FAQ
Mcnamara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcnamara?
Name Census estimates that about 29,650 living Americans carry the surname Mcnamara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,560 residents.
How common is Mcnamara?
Mcnamara ranks #1,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,856 people with the surname Mcnamara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,650), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Mcnamara.
Has Mcnamara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcnamara went from 26,534 recorded bearers to 25,856. That is a decrease of 678 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,329 to #1,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcnamara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnamara, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Mcnamara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (23,841 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcnamara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Mcnamara (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 Mcnamara mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Conmara," meaning "son of the hound of the sea." 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 Mcnamara (8.65 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 share the surname Mcnamara?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.