Find out how popular the last name McNew is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McNew.

McNew, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McNew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McNew in America

McNew is the 7714th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McNew surname appeared 4,304 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McNew.

We can also compare 2010 data for McNew to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McNew

The surname MCNEW is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic "mac Nuaidh" meaning "son of the new one." It is believed to have first appeared in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland during the late 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MCNEW can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges to King Edward I of England from Scottish nobles and landowners. Here, the name is spelled as "MacNuadh."

By the 15th century, variations such as "McNue" and "McNuye" were being used. These spellings reflect the evolution of the name from its Gaelic roots to its more modern form.

During the 16th century, the MCNEW surname began to spread throughout Scotland, with records indicating families bearing the name in the counties of Ayr, Lanark, and Renfrew. A notable individual from this era was Donald MCNEW, a merchant and burgess of Glasgow, who was recorded in the city's burgh records in 1587.

In the 17th century, the name MCNEW appeared in various Scottish records, including parish registers and court documents. One such record from 1642 mentions James MCNEW, a landowner in the parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire.

As the Scottish diaspora expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries, the MCNEW surname began to appear in other parts of the world, particularly in North America and Australia. Some notable individuals from this period include:

1. John MCNEW (1732-1812), a Scottish-born American settler who served as a captain in the Virginia militia during the American Revolutionary War.
2. William MCNEW (1787-1863), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in mapping the inland regions of New South Wales.
3. Margaret MCNEW (1835-1912), a Scottish-born American educator and pioneer in the field of women's higher education, serving as the first female president of Monmouth College in Illinois.

In the 20th century, the MCNEW surname continued to be found across various countries, with individuals making their mark in various fields. For example, Robert MCNEW (1918-2002) was an American businessman and philanthropist who established the MCNEW Corporation, a successful construction company based in Texas.

Throughout its history, the surname MCNEW has maintained its Scottish roots and can be traced back to the Gaelic language and the early Scottish clans and families who bore the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McNew

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McNew.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McNew was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McNew has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McNew was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McNew, please contact us.

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