2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcquilken
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Uilcin, meaning "son of the descendant of Uilcan".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Mcquilken. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcquilken 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcquilken with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Mcquilken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcquilken, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcquilken
The surname McQuilken is of Scottish origin and is believed to have originated in the 16th century. It is thought to be a variant of the Scottish surname McQuillan, which is derived from the Gaelic personal name "MacCuilleanáin," meaning "son of the little lad."
The name McQuilken is closely associated with the Scottish county of Ayrshire, particularly the town of Kilwinning. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in parish records from this region, with references to individuals such as John McQuilken, who was born in Kilwinning in 1598.
In the 17th century, the McQuilken name appeared in various historical documents, including the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, which mentions a William McQuilken who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership in 1647.
One notable individual with the surname McQuilken was Robert McQuilken (1695-1772), a Scottish clergyman and author who served as the minister of Cadder Parish Church in Lanarkshire. His published works include a historical account of the parish and a collection of sermons.
Another prominent figure was Sir James McQuilken (1789-1856), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry. He was knighted for his contributions to the city of Glasgow and funded the construction of several churches and schools in the area.
In the 19th century, the McQuilken surname began to spread beyond Scotland, with individuals bearing this name emigrating to other parts of the United Kingdom and North America. One such individual was John McQuilken (1822-1897), a Scottish-born farmer who settled in Ontario, Canada, and played a significant role in the development of the local agricultural community.
Another notable figure from this period was William McQuilken (1856-1924), an Irish-born architect who worked in London and was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Royal Academy of Music and the City of London School.
While the McQuilken surname is not as common today as some other Scottish surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from religion and literature to business and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcquilken
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcquilken, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcquilken 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 Mcquilken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcquilken
Mcquilken 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,854 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-9 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 13,854 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 7,769 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 Mcquilken 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 | #145,220 | #152,989 | -5.3% |
| Count | 114 | 105 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcquilken bearers went from 114 to 105 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 7,769 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,989.
FAQ
Mcquilken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcquilken?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Mcquilken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Mcquilken?
Mcquilken ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Mcquilken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Mcquilken.
Has Mcquilken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcquilken went from 114 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcquilken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcquilken, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Mcquilken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcquilken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Mcquilken (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 Mcquilken mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Uilcin, meaning "son of the descendant of Uilcan". 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 Mcquilken (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 common is the surname Mcquilken?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Mcquilken at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.