2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcneive
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Naomh meaning "son of the saint".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Mcneive. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcneive 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Mcneive in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneive, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcneive
The surname McNeive is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Naomh," which translates to "son of the saint." It is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland during the Middle Ages, specifically in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides.
The name McNeive is closely related to the variants McNevin, McNeven, and McNiven, all of which stem from the same Gaelic root. These variations in spelling likely emerged due to the differences in pronunciation and recording practices across various regions of Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McNeive can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where it appears as "McNeven." This suggests that the name was well-established in Scotland by that time.
In the 16th century, the McNeive clan held lands in the parish of Kilfinichen on the island of Mull, which was part of the historic region of Argyll. This area was known for its strong Gaelic cultural traditions, and the McNeive family likely played a role in preserving their heritage.
Notable individuals bearing the surname McNeive include:
1. Archibald McNeive (c. 1680-1745), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Glasgow.
2. John McNeive (1792-1876), a Scottish-born American Presbyterian minister and educator who served as the president of Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.
3. William McNeive (1814-1897), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.
4. Margaret McNeive (1835-1912), a Scottish author and poet known for her contributions to the literary landscape of the Highlands.
5. Donald McNeive (1870-1952), a Scottish-born Australian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Melbourne.
While the McNeive surname may not be as prevalent as some other Scottish names, it holds a rich history that extends back centuries, with roots deeply embedded in the Gaelic traditions of the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcneive
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneive, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcneive 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 Mcneive surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcneive
Mcneive 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+13 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,235 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-12 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 4,235 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 9,069 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 Mcneive 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 | #146,201 | #155,270 | -6.2% |
| Count | 113 | 101 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcneive bearers went from 113 to 101 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 9,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #155,270.
FAQ
Mcneive surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcneive?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Mcneive. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Mcneive?
Mcneive ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Mcneive. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Mcneive.
Has Mcneive become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcneive went from 113 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcneive?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneive, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Mcneive in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcneive appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.0%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Mcneive (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 Mcneive mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Naomh meaning "son of the saint". 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 Mcneive (0.03 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 have the last name Mcneive?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Mcneive, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.