2000
#14,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,932
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Mcquillen
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Uighilín, meaning "son of Uighilín," a Gaelic personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,187 Americans carry the last name Mcquillen. That puts it at #14,903 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcquillen 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 Mcquillen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 156,724
Census rank
#14,903
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,907 bearers of the surname Mcquillen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14903rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcquillen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcquillen
The surname McQuillen is believed to have originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name "Mac Cuilinn," which means "son of the holly tree." The name likely refers to someone who lived near a holly tree or a place where holly trees grew abundantly.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "MacCullen" in these rolls.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McQuillen family was prominent in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. They were among the most powerful clans in the area and played a significant role in the region's history. One notable member was Sir James McQuillen, who was born in 1550 and served as the Baron of Coleraine.
Another historical figure with the surname McQuillen was John McQuillen, born in 1735 in County Antrim. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who emigrated to America in the late 18th century and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In the 19th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including McQuillan, McQuillin, and McQuillen. One notable individual from this era was Michael McQuillen, born in 1820 in County Armagh, Ireland. He was a prominent Catholic priest who played a significant role in establishing Catholic churches and schools in the American Midwest.
During the 20th century, the surname McQuillen continued to be associated with notable individuals. One such person was James McQuillen, born in 1892 in New York City. He was a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings, including the Chrysler Building in New York City.
Another notable figure was Anna McQuillen, born in 1914 in Chicago, Illinois. She was a celebrated author and journalist who wrote extensively about social issues and the experiences of working-class Americans.
While the surname McQuillen may have evolved over time and been influenced by various regional variations, its Scottish origins and connection to the holly tree remain a significant part of its historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcquillen
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcquillen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcquillen 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 Mcquillen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 1,731
- Two or more races3.5% · 67
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 31
- Black or African American0.9% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcquillen
Mcquillen 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
#14,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,035
+103 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 377 places
2020
#14,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,907
-128 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 279 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,247 | 1,932 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,624 | 2,035 | 0.69 | +103 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 377 places |
| 2020 | #14,903 | 1,907 | 0.64 | -128 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 279 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 Mcquillen 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 | #14,624 | #14,903 | -1.9% |
| Count | 2,035 | 1,907 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.64 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcquillen bearers went from 2,035 to 1,907 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 279 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,624 to #14,903.
FAQ
Mcquillen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcquillen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,187 living Americans carry the surname Mcquillen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,724 residents.
How common is Mcquillen?
Mcquillen ranks #14,903 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,907 people with the surname Mcquillen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,187), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Mcquillen.
Has Mcquillen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcquillen went from 2,035 recorded bearers to 1,907. That is a decrease of 128 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,624 to #14,903.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcquillen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcquillen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Mcquillen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (1,731 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcquillen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Mcquillen (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 Mcquillen mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Uighilín, meaning "son of Uighilín," a Gaelic personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Mcquillen (0.64 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 Mcquillen?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.