2010
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcnure
An Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic surname MacAnNaraigh, meaning "son of the aristocrat" or "son of the nobleman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Mcnure. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcnure 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Mcnure in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnure, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcnure
The surname MCNURE is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the Highlands region of Scotland, particularly in the areas around Inverness and Loch Ness. The name is a variant of the Gaelic word "Macnaurachd," which translates to "son of the navigator" or "son of the seafarer."
Early records indicate that the name MCNURE first appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1296, where a certain John McNure was listed as a landowner in the county of Inverness. This suggests that the family had already established itself as a prominent clan in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the MCNURE clan played a significant role in the local politics and feuds of the Highlands. Several members of the clan were mentioned in historical accounts as fierce warriors and supporters of the Lords of the Isles during their conflicts with the Scottish Crown.
One notable figure from this period was Angus MCNURE, who led a contingent of his clansmen in the Battle of Harlaw in 1411. This battle, fought between the forces of the Earl of Mar and the Lord of the Isles, Donald MacDonald, was a pivotal event in Scottish history and is often referred to as the "Red Harlaw" due to the significant loss of life on both sides.
During the 16th century, the MCNURE clan expanded its influence and landholdings, with several branches establishing themselves in various parts of the Highlands and the Lowlands. One prominent member of the clan was Sir Robert MCNURE, who was knighted by King James IV of Scotland in 1512 for his valor and loyalty during the Scottish-English border conflicts.
The MCNURE name also found its way into the historical records of Ireland, where a branch of the clan settled in County Antrim after being driven from Scotland during the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century. This Irish branch of the MCNURE family produced several notable figures, including Patrick MCNURE, a prominent merchant and landowner in Belfast during the late 17th century.
As the centuries passed, the MCNURE surname continued to be represented in various sectors of Scottish and Irish society, including academia, politics, and the military. One notable figure was Professor William MCNURE, a renowned scholar and linguist who served as the Chair of Celtic Studies at the University of Glasgow in the late 19th century.
Another prominent MCNURE was Major General James MCNURE, who distinguished himself during the Second World War as a commander in the British Expeditionary Force and later served as the Governor of Malta from 1946 to 1949.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcnure
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnure, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcnure 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 Mcnure surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 100
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcnure
Mcnure 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-8 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,097 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 8,097 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 Mcnure 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 | #142,108 | #150,205 | -5.7% |
| Count | 117 | 109 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcnure bearers went from 117 to 109 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 8,097 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #150,205.
FAQ
Mcnure surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcnure?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Mcnure. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Mcnure?
Mcnure ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Mcnure. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Mcnure.
Has Mcnure become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcnure went from 117 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcnure?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnure, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Mcnure in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcnure 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 (6.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Mcnure (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 Mcnure mean?
An Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic surname MacAnNaraigh, meaning "son of the aristocrat" or "son of the nobleman". 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 Mcnure (0.04 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 Mcnure?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.