2000
#1,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.77
Uncommon Last name
Mcneill
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Néill," meaning "son of Neil" or "descendant of Neil."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,592 Americans carry the last name Mcneill. That puts it at #1,870 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,874 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcneill 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 Mcneill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,874
Census rank
#1,870
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,829 bearers of the surname Mcneill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1870th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneill, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcneill
The surname McNeill is a Scottish surname that originated in the Scottish Highlands. It is a variant of the Gaelic name Mac Naill, which means "son of Niall". The name Niall was derived from the old Irish name Niall, which meant "champion" or "cloud".
The name McNeill first appeared in the historical records of Argyllshire, Scotland in the 13th century. The McNeills were a powerful clan in the Western Isles and Argyll region of Scotland. They were a branch of the Clan Donald, one of the largest and most influential clans in the Scottish Highlands.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name McNeill was in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1292, which referred to a person named "Gillebride MacNaill". Another early reference to the name was in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which listed a "Gilchrist MacNaill" as a Scottish landowner who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
In the 16th century, the McNeills were involved in several conflicts and battles with other clans, such as the Clan Campbell and the Clan Lamont. One notable figure from this period was Hector McNeill, who was the chief of the McNeills in 1546 and led his clan in the Battle of Largs against the Clan Campbell.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the McNeills played a significant role in the Jacobite risings in support of the exiled House of Stuart's claim to the British throne. One famous McNeill from this period was Sir John McNeill (1654-1732), a Scottish soldier and Jacobite who fought in the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689.
In the 19th century, the McNeills were known for their contributions to literature and education. One notable figure was the Rev. Hugh McNeill (1795-1879), a Scottish minister and author who wrote several books on theology and religious topics. Another famous McNeill was Sir John McNeill (1795-1883), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British West Indies and the Bahamas.
Other notable McNeills throughout history include:
1. Don McNeill (1907-1996), an American radio personality and host of the popular radio show "The Breakfast Club".
2. Hector McNeill (1668-1718), a Scottish poet and songwriter known for his collection of poems titled "The Pastoral".
3. Malcolm McNeill (1887-1969), a Scottish rugby union player who played for Scotland in the early 20th century.
4. William McNeill (1923-2016), an American historian and author best known for his book "The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community".
5. Don McNeill (1930-2018), an American professional basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons in the 1950s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcneill
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneill, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcneill 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 Mcneill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.1% · 11,508
- Black or African American29.4% · 5,543
- Two or more races3.9% · 728
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 614
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 340
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 96
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcneill
Mcneill 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
#1,875
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,152
+880 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 6.49
Rank movement Down 69 places
2020
#1,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,829
-323 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 6.30
Rank movement Up 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,806 | 18,272 | 6.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,875 | 19,152 | 6.49 | +880 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 69 places |
| 2020 | #1,870 | 18,829 | 6.30 | -323 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 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 Mcneill 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 | #1,875 | #1,870 | 0.3% |
| Count | 19,152 | 18,829 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.49 | 6.30 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcneill bearers went from 19,152 to 18,829 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,875 to #1,870.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcneill
FAQ
Mcneill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcneill?
Name Census estimates that about 21,592 living Americans carry the surname Mcneill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,874 residents.
How common is Mcneill?
Mcneill ranks #1,870 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,829 people with the surname Mcneill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,592), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Mcneill.
Has Mcneill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcneill went from 19,152 recorded bearers to 18,829. That is a decrease of 323 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,875 to #1,870.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcneill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneill, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mcneill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.1% (11,508 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcneill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.1%), Black (29.4%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mcneill (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 Mcneill mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Néill," meaning "son of Neil" or "descendant of Neil." 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 Mcneill (6.30 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 Mcneill?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.