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

McSpadden, 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 McSpadden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McSpadden in America

McSpadden is the 12307th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McSpadden surname appeared 2,526 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McSpadden.

We can also compare 2010 data for McSpadden 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 McSpadden

The surname McSpadden is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the Highlands of Scotland. The name is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Spaidean" which translates to "little farm" or "small holding."

The earliest recorded instances of the McSpadden name can be found in the historical records of Argyllshire, a county in western Scotland. It is thought that the McSpaddens were originally a branch of the Clan MacMillan, a prominent Scottish clan with strong ties to the region.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the McSpadden name appears in the "Black Book of Taymouth," a historical manuscript dating back to the 15th century. The document references a "Donald McSpadden" as a witness to a land dispute in the year 1476.

In the 16th century, the McSpadden name began to spread beyond Argyllshire, with families settling in neighboring counties such as Perthshire and Stirlingshire. During this period, variations in spelling became more common, with the name appearing as "McSpadyen," "McSpaiden," and "McSpadyne" in various historical records.

One notable figure bearing the McSpadden name was Duncan McSpadden, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Jacobite Risings of the early 18th century. Born in 1685 in Perthshire, McSpadden was a staunch supporter of the exiled House of Stuart and participated in the Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715.

Another significant individual was Margaret McSpadden, born in 1792 in Stirlingshire. She was a renowned poet and author, publishing several collections of poems and ballads that captured the spirit of the Scottish Highlands during her lifetime.

In the 19th century, the McSpadden name began to spread beyond Scotland as members of the family emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly North America. One such individual was James McSpadden, born in 1820 in Argyllshire, who settled in Ontario, Canada in the 1840s and became a prominent businessman and landowner.

Another notable figure was William McSpadden, born in 1845 in Perthshire, who served as a captain in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863.

As the McSpadden family continued to disperse across the globe, the name became associated with various place names and geographical locations. For example, the village of McSpadden Creek in West Virginia, USA, is believed to have been named after an early Scottish settler bearing the McSpadden surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McSpadden

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

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

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

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