2000
#7,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,321
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.60
Rare Last name
Mcnew
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Naoimh," meaning "son of Naomh" or "son of the saint."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,844 Americans carry the last name Mcnew. That puts it at #7,580 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,759 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcnew 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
4.8K
1 in 70,759
Census rank
#7,580
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,224 bearers of the surname Mcnew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7580th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnew, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcnew
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnew, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcnew 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 Mcnew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 3,874
- Two or more races4.2% · 176
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcnew
Mcnew 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
#7,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,304
-17 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 583 places
2020
#7,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,224
-80 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Up 134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,131 | 4,321 | 1.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,714 | 4,304 | 1.46 | -17 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 583 places |
| 2020 | #7,580 | 4,224 | 1.41 | -80 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 134 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 Mcnew 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 | #7,714 | #7,580 | 1.7% |
| Count | 4,304 | 4,224 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.41 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcnew bearers went from 4,304 to 4,224 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 134 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,714 to #7,580.
FAQ
Mcnew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcnew?
Name Census estimates that about 4,844 living Americans carry the surname Mcnew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,759 residents.
How common is Mcnew?
Mcnew ranks #7,580 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,224 people with the surname Mcnew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,844), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcnew.
Has Mcnew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcnew went from 4,304 recorded bearers to 4,224. That is a decrease of 80 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,714 to #7,580.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcnew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnew, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Mcnew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (3,874 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcnew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Mcnew (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 Mcnew mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Naoimh," meaning "son of Naomh" or "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 Mcnew (1.41 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 surname Mcnew?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.