2000
#1,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,321
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.16
Uncommon Last name
Mcneal
A Scottish or Irish occupational surname referring to a son of Neil, a Gaelic personal name meaning "champion."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,596 Americans carry the last name Mcneal. That puts it at #1,780 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,169 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcneal 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 Mcneal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 15,169
Census rank
#1,780
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,705 bearers of the surname Mcneal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1780th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.1%. The next largest groups are White (41.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcneal
The surname McNeal has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, emerging in the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Niall," which means "son of Niall." Niall was a popular personal name in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands, and the prefix "Mac" signified "son of."
The earliest recorded instance of the surname McNeal can be traced back to the year 1546, when a John McNeal was mentioned in the Annals of Inverness, a historical chronicle of events in the Scottish Highlands. The name was also found in various clan records and charter documents from the same period.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname McNeal was Sir John McNeal, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another prominent figure was Angus McNeal, a 16th-century chieftain of the McNeal clan, who played a role in the clan battles and power struggles of the time.
In the 17th century, the surname McNeal began to appear in various parts of Scotland, including the Lowlands, as families migrated and settled in new areas. The name also underwent some spelling variations, such as McNeil, McNeal, and MacNeal, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciation differences.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname McNeal was Sir John McNeal (1670-1743), a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Province of New Jersey from 1739 to 1743. He played a significant role in the development of the American colonies during the early years of British rule.
Another notable figure was Reverend Hugh McNeal (1795-1879), a Scottish-born Presbyterian minister who emigrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in the Free Presbyterian Church movement. He was known for his staunch opposition to slavery and his efforts to promote religious education.
In the 19th century, the surname McNeal continued to spread across the English-speaking world as Scottish emigrants sought new opportunities in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. One notable individual from this period was Daniel McNeal (1820-1899), an American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the mining industry and founded the McNeal Institute for the Education of Women in Missouri.
Throughout its history, the surname McNeal has been associated with various Scottish clans and families, reflecting the rich heritage and traditions of the Scottish Highlands. While the name has evolved and spread across the globe, its origins remain firmly rooted in the historical landscapes of Scotland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcneal
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.1%. The next largest groups are White (41.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcneal 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 Mcneal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American49.1% · 9,682
- White41.2% · 8,125
- Two or more races5.6% · 1,112
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 574
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 114
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 98
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcneal
Mcneal 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
#1,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,778
+1,457 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 7.04
Rank movement Down 21 places
2020
#1,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,705
-1,073 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 6.59
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,702 | 19,321 | 7.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,723 | 20,778 | 7.04 | +1,457 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 21 places |
| 2020 | #1,780 | 19,705 | 6.59 | -1,073 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 57 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 Mcneal 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 | #1,723 | #1,780 | -3.3% |
| Count | 20,778 | 19,705 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 7.04 | 6.59 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcneal bearers went from 20,778 to 19,705 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,723 to #1,780.
FAQ
Mcneal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcneal?
Name Census estimates that about 22,596 living Americans carry the surname Mcneal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,169 residents.
How common is Mcneal?
Mcneal ranks #1,780 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,705 people with the surname Mcneal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,596), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Mcneal.
Has Mcneal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcneal went from 20,778 recorded bearers to 19,705. That is a decrease of 1,073 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,723 to #1,780.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcneal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.1%. The next largest groups are White (41.2%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcneal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.1% (9,682 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcneal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (49.1%), White (41.2%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Mcneal (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 Mcneal mean?
A Scottish or Irish occupational surname referring to a son of Neil, a Gaelic personal name meaning "champion." 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 Mcneal (6.59 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 Mcneal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.