2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcnellie
Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacNaghillaidh" meaning "son of the servant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Mcnellie. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcnellie 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Mcnellie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnellie, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcnellie
The surname McNellie is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the early 17th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surname "Mac Niall" or "Mac Naill," which means "son of Niall" or "son of Neil." This suggests that the name may have originated from a patronymic, referring to the son of an individual named Niall or Neil.
The earliest known records of the surname McNellie can be found in the parish records of Ayrshire, Scotland, from the late 1600s. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire during this period, suggesting that these areas may have been the original homeland of the McNellie family.
One of the earliest documented instances of the surname McNellie can be found in the records of the Scottish Privy Council from 1626, where a certain John McNellie is mentioned. This reference provides valuable insight into the early existence of the name and its spelling variations.
In the 18th century, the McNellie surname appeared in various historical records, such as parish registers and court documents. Notable individuals with this surname during this time period include James McNellie, a merchant from Glasgow who was born in 1712, and Robert McNellie, a landowner from Lanarkshire, who lived from 1745 to 1823.
During the 19th century, the McNellie surname continued to be prominent in Scotland, with several individuals making significant contributions to various fields. One such figure was Alexander McNellie, a renowned Scottish architect born in 1825, who was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Another notable McNellie from this era was William McNellie, a Scottish-born explorer and adventurer who traveled extensively throughout North America in the late 1800s. He was born in 1842 and is known for his detailed accounts of his travels and encounters with indigenous communities.
In the 20th century, the McNellie surname gained further recognition with individuals like John McNellie, a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist born in 1902. He made significant contributions to the development of the city of Chicago through his business ventures and charitable initiatives.
Throughout its history, the McNellie surname has maintained a strong presence in Scotland and has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration. While the name has evolved in its spelling over time, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic tradition of patronymic naming conventions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcnellie
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnellie, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcnellie 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 Mcnellie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 82
- Black or African American10.0% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 5
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcnellie
Mcnellie appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 362 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 Mcnellie 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 | #156,044 | #155,682 | 0.2% |
| Count | 104 | 100 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcnellie bearers went from 104 to 100 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #155,682.
FAQ
Mcnellie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcnellie?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Mcnellie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Mcnellie?
Mcnellie ranks #155,682 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 100 people with the surname Mcnellie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), 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 Mcnellie.
Has Mcnellie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcnellie went from 104 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcnellie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnellie, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Mcnellie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcnellie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Black (10.0%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Mcnellie (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 Mcnellie mean?
Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacNaghillaidh" meaning "son of the servant". 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 Mcnellie (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 common is the surname Mcnellie?
Find out how many people are called Mcnellie on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.