2000
#8,320
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,661
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Mcvicker
A Scottish occupational surname referring to a vicar or priest, derived from "Mac" (son of) and "vicar."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,153 Americans carry the last name Mcvicker. That puts it at #8,697 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,532 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcvicker 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 Mcvicker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 82,532
Census rank
#8,697
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,622 bearers of the surname Mcvicker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8697th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcvicker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcvicker
The surname McVicker is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic name "Mac a'Bhreitheamh," which translates to "son of the judge" or "son of the brehon." Brehons were judges or lawyers in ancient Irish and Scottish societies, responsible for interpreting and enforcing traditional laws.
The earliest known record of the McVicker surname dates back to 1545, when a John McVicker was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. This document recorded financial transactions and legal proceedings within the Scottish kingdom during that period.
In the 17th century, the McVicker name appeared in various parish records and legal documents across Scotland, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. Some variations in spelling included McVicar, McViccar, and McVicker.
One notable individual bearing the McVicker surname was Robert McVicker (1765-1844), a Scottish-born clergyman who served as the minister of the Presbyterian Church in Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland. He was known for his active role in promoting education and establishing several schools in the area.
Another prominent figure was James McVicker (1786-1870), a Scottish-born merchant and businessman who emigrated to the United States in the early 19th century. He established a successful trading company in New York City and was actively involved in the city's business and philanthropic circles.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, several members of the McVicker family were recorded as landowners and tenants in the parishes of Kilwinning and Stevenston in Ayrshire, Scotland. Some of these individuals included John McVicker (1745-1812), a farmer in the village of Corsehill, and William McVicker (1771-1839), a weaver in the town of Saltcoats.
It is also worth mentioning that the McVicker surname has been associated with the village of Monkton, located in South Ayrshire. This area was once known as "Munkton," and it is believed that some early bearers of the McVicker name may have originated from or had connections to this locality.
Another notable individual was David McVicker (1810-1876), a Scottish-born artist and painter who gained recognition for his landscape and genre paintings depicting rural life in Scotland. Several of his works are preserved in museums and private collections.
While the exact origins and early history of the McVicker surname are not entirely clear, it undoubtedly has deep roots in Scottish heritage, with connections to the legal profession and various regions within Scotland, particularly Ayrshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcvicker
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcvicker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcvicker 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 Mcvicker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 3,342
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 102
- Two or more races2.8% · 100
- Black or African American1.0% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcvicker
Mcvicker 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
#8,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,738
+77 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 450 places
2020
#8,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,622
-116 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Up 73 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,320 | 3,661 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,770 | 3,738 | 1.27 | +77 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 450 places |
| 2020 | #8,697 | 3,622 | 1.21 | -116 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 73 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 Mcvicker 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 | #8,770 | #8,697 | 0.8% |
| Count | 3,738 | 3,622 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.21 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcvicker bearers went from 3,738 to 3,622 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 73 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,770 to #8,697.
FAQ
Mcvicker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcvicker?
Name Census estimates that about 4,153 living Americans carry the surname Mcvicker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,532 residents.
How common is Mcvicker?
Mcvicker ranks #8,697 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 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 3,622 people with the surname Mcvicker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,153), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 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 Mcvicker.
Has Mcvicker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcvicker went from 3,738 recorded bearers to 3,622. That is a decrease of 116 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,770 to #8,697.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcvicker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcvicker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Mcvicker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (3,342 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcvicker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (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 Mcvicker (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 Mcvicker mean?
A Scottish occupational surname referring to a vicar or priest, derived from "Mac" (son of) and "vicar." 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 Mcvicker (1.21 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 Americans have the surname Mcvicker?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.