2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcneace
An Irish surname derived from Mac Naois, meaning "son of the descendant of Naos".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Mcneace. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcneace 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Mcneace in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneace, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.4%) and Two or More Races (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcneace
The surname MCNEACE is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "naomh" meaning "saint." This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a church or monastery dedicated to a particular saint.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles who swore fealty to Edward I of England. An entry for a "Duncan McNeace" is listed, though the spelling varies slightly from the modern form.
By the 16th century, the name had spread throughout various regions of Scotland, with concentrations in the Scottish Highlands and Aberdeenshire. Variations in spelling were common, including "MacNeish," "McNaish," and "McNeice."
Several notable individuals bearing the MCNEACE surname can be found throughout history. In the 18th century, John McNeace (1715-1786) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Inverness, Scotland. His son, William McNeace (1750-1822), served as a captain in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, James McNeace (1835-1903) was a Scottish-born American industrialist who founded the McNeace Foundry Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His company played a significant role in the region's steel industry during the Industrial Revolution.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth McNeace (1870-1954), a Scottish suffragette and activist for women's rights. She was involved in various protests and demonstrations, campaigning for women's suffrage in the early 20th century.
In more recent times, Robert McNeace (1917-2005) was a renowned artist and sculptor from Glasgow, Scotland. His works were displayed in galleries throughout the United Kingdom and gained international recognition.
The surname MCNEACE has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Scotland, with possible connections to saints and religious establishments. While the spelling has evolved over time, the name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, soldiers, industrialists, activists, and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcneace
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneace, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.4%) and Two or More Races (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcneace 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 Mcneace surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.5% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino17.4% · 20
- Two or more races8.7% · 10
- Black or African American6.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcneace
Mcneace 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,103 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,617 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 7,103 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 4,617 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 Mcneace 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 | #141,140 | #145,757 | -3.3% |
| Count | 118 | 115 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcneace bearers went from 118 to 115 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 4,617 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #145,757.
FAQ
Mcneace surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcneace?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Mcneace. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Mcneace?
Mcneace ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Mcneace. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mcneace.
Has Mcneace become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcneace went from 118 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcneace?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneace, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.4%) and Two or More Races (8.7%). 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 Mcneace in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.5% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcneace appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.5%), Hispanic (17.4%), Two or More Races (8.7%). 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 Mcneace (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 Mcneace mean?
An Irish surname derived from Mac Naois, meaning "son of the descendant of Naos". 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 Mcneace (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Mcneace?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.