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

McQueen, 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 McQueen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McQueen in America

McQueen is the 1814th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McQueen surname appeared 19,760 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname McQueen.

We can also compare 2010 data for McQueen 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 McQueen

The surname McQueen originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is a Scottish variant of the Gaelic name MacShuibhne, which means "son of Suibhne." Suibhne is derived from the old Norse name Sweyn, meaning "young warrior" or "young man." The prefix "Mac" means "son of" in Gaelic.

The McQueen name is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll in western Scotland, where the Clan McQueen was historically based. The earliest recorded reference to the name dates back to the 13th century, when a charter from 1230 mentions "Sumerletus filius Suyni" (Sumerletus son of Suyni).

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several Scottish records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1364, which mention "Willelmo Makessone" (William McQueen). The name was also recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls listing Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the McQueen surname was Somerled of Argyll, a 12th-century Scottish king and Lord of the Isles. He is often considered the progenitor of the Clan McQueen, although the connection is not definitively proven.

Another prominent figure was Sir John McQueen, a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He is mentioned in the medieval chronicle "The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie."

In the 16th century, the McQueen family was involved in feuds with the Campbells of Argyll, which led to the burning of Dunavertie Castle, the McQueen clan seat, in 1647.

Other notable individuals with the McQueen surname include:

1. Alistair McQueen (1919-2008), British film director and screenwriter known for films like "The Battle of the River Plate" and "The Sand Pebbles."
2. Alexander McQueen (1969-2010), renowned British fashion designer and couturier known for his avant-garde and unconventional designs.
3. Butterfly McQueen (1911-1995), American actress best known for her role as Prissy in the film "Gone with the Wind."
4. Gordon McQueen (born 1952), Scottish former professional footballer who played for Leeds United and Manchester United.
5. Steve McQueen (1930-1980), American actor and cultural icon known for his roles in films like "The Great Escape," "The Thomas Crown Affair," and "Bullitt."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McQueen

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

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 McQueen 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 McQueen 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 McQueen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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