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

McReynolds, 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 McReynolds surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McReynolds in America

McReynolds is the 4795th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McReynolds surname appeared 7,373 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname McReynolds.

We can also compare 2010 data for McReynolds 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 McReynolds

The surname McReynolds has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 15th century. It is a variant of the more common Scottish surname Reynolds, which is derived from the given name Reynold or Reginald, an Old German name meaning "counsel-ruler" or "brave counsel." The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" indicates the name is of Scottish origin and means "son of."

The earliest known references to the name date back to the late 15th century in the Scottish Borders region. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Dumfries, Roxburgh, and Berwick. Early records show variations in spelling, including MacReynolds, McReynauld, and McRennald.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname is John McReynolds, who is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1488. Another notable early bearer of the name is William McReynolds, who served as a merchant and burgess in Edinburgh in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the McReynolds family played a significant role in the Scottish Covenanting movement, which sought to preserve Presbyterian church governance against the efforts of the Stuart monarchs to impose episcopacy. Robert McReynolds (1595-1672) was a prominent Covenanter minister and author from Dumfriesshire.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many McReynolds families immigrated to North America, particularly to the United States and Canada. One notable early American bearer of the name was James McReynolds (1762-1839), a soldier from Virginia who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

Other notable individuals with the surname McReynolds include:

1. John McReynolds (1846-1916), an American rancher and businessman from Texas who was involved in the early development of the petroleum industry.

2. James Clark McReynolds (1862-1946), an American lawyer and jurist who served as the United States Attorney General and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

3. Samuel McReynolds (1872-1952), an American artist and illustrator known for his work in magazines and newspapers in the early 20th century.

4. Marcia McReynolds (1921-2004), an American politician who served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and advocated for civil rights and women's rights.

5. Jim McReynolds (born 1952), an American football player who played as a defensive back in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McReynolds

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

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

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

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