2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Mcvan
Scottish surname meaning "son of the small, insignificant person."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Mcvan. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcvan 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.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Mcvan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcvan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcvan
The surname MCVAN has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "mac" meaning "son of" and the name "Van" or "Vane," which was likely a personal name or a shortened version of a longer name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCVAN surname can be found in the parish records of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, where a John McVan was listed in 1598. The name also appeared in the records of Kirkcudbrightshire, where a Walter McVane was mentioned in 1610.
In the 17th century, the MCVAN surname spread to various parts of Scotland, including Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. The name was sometimes spelled differently, such as McVaine, McVan, or McVane, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
Notable individuals with the MCVAN surname include John McVan (c. 1600-1670), a Scottish merchant and landowner who owned properties in Ayrshire. Another prominent figure was William McVan (1765-1843), a Scottish minister and author who served as a parish minister in Kilmarnock and wrote several theological works.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the MCVAN surname became more widespread, with bearers of the name migrating to various parts of the British Empire, including North America and Australia. One notable Australian bearer of the name was Alexander McVan (1828-1903), a Scottish-born businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Victoria.
Other notable individuals with the MCVAN surname include Robert McVan (1870-1941), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and James McVan (1885-1954), a Scottish-born Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton Football Club in the early 20th century.
While the MCVAN surname is relatively uncommon, it continues to be found in various parts of the world, with a strong presence in Scotland, Canada, and Australia, reflecting the historical migration patterns of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcvan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcvan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcvan 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 Mcvan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 9
- Black or African American3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcvan
Mcvan 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+6 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,409 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-19 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,999 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 3,409 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 17,999 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 Mcvan 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 | #132,206 | #150,205 | -13.6% |
| Count | 128 | 109 | -14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcvan bearers went from 128 to 109 (-14.8% change). The surname moved down 17,999 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #150,205.
FAQ
Mcvan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcvan?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Mcvan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Mcvan?
Mcvan ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Mcvan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Mcvan.
Has Mcvan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcvan went from 128 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcvan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcvan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Black (3.7%). 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 Mcvan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcvan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Hispanic (8.3%), Black (3.7%). 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 Mcvan (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 Mcvan mean?
Scottish surname meaning "son of the small, insignificant person." 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 Mcvan (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 Mcvan?
Want to know how many people are called Mcvan? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.