2000
#3,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,185
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.40
Uncommon Last name
Mcwhorter
An Scottish or Irish occupational surname referring to the son of a chorister, harper, or other musical performer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,147 Americans carry the last name Mcwhorter. That puts it at #3,898 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcwhorter 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
10K
1 in 33,779
Census rank
#3,898
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,849 bearers of the surname Mcwhorter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3898th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcwhorter, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcwhorter
The surname McWhorter is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Watters or Waters. It emerged in the 12th century in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, where it was initially spelled as McWatters or McWattirs.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which document the swearing of allegiance to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. An entry for a "Walter McWatyr" from Ayrshire is listed among those who pledged their fealty.
The surname McWhorter likely emerged as a phonetic variation of the original McWatters spelling, reflecting the local dialect and pronunciation in certain areas of Scotland. Over time, different spellings such as McWhorter, McWhortur, and McQuharter became more common.
In the 16th century, the McWhorters were prominent landowners in the Barony of Renfrew, near Glasgow. A notable figure from this period was John McWhorter (1505-1572), who served as the Baillie of Renfrew and played a significant role in local affairs.
During the Scottish Reformation, the McWhorters were divided in their religious loyalties, with some remaining Catholic and others embracing Protestantism. This division led to conflicts and disputes over land and inheritance within the family.
In the 17th century, several members of the McWhorter clan emigrated to Ireland, settling in the Ulster Plantation. One notable individual from this period was William McWhorter (1620-1689), who became a successful merchant and landowner in County Down.
As the McWhorters spread across Scotland, Ireland, and eventually to the British colonies in North America, the name continued to evolve with various spellings. Notable individuals with the surname include:
1. Alexander McWhorter (1734-1807), an American Presbyterian minister and educator who founded the Newark Academy in New Jersey.
2. Mary McWhorter (1770-1853), an American poet and essayist known for her works exploring themes of nature and morality.
3. George McWhorter (1787-1853), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey.
4. Edward McWhorter (1842-1914), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg.
5. Lucile McWhorter (1893-1944), an American aviator and one of the first female pilots in the United States.
The surname McWhorter has a rich history, tracing its roots back to the Scottish Highlands and reflecting the diverse experiences of those who bore the name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcwhorter
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcwhorter, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcwhorter 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 Mcwhorter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 6,929
- Black or African American13.2% · 1,169
- Two or more races3.9% · 343
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 318
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcwhorter
Mcwhorter 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
#3,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,312
+127 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 3.16
Rank movement Down 250 places
2020
#3,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,849
-463 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.96
Rank movement Down 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,551 | 9,185 | 3.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,801 | 9,312 | 3.16 | +127 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 250 places |
| 2020 | #3,898 | 8,849 | 2.96 | -463 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 97 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 Mcwhorter 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 | #3,801 | #3,898 | -2.6% |
| Count | 9,312 | 8,849 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.16 | 2.96 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcwhorter bearers went from 9,312 to 8,849 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,801 to #3,898.
FAQ
Mcwhorter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcwhorter?
Name Census estimates that about 10,147 living Americans carry the surname Mcwhorter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,779 residents.
How common is Mcwhorter?
Mcwhorter ranks #3,898 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,849 people with the surname Mcwhorter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,147), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mcwhorter.
Has Mcwhorter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcwhorter went from 9,312 recorded bearers to 8,849. That is a decrease of 463 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,801 to #3,898.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcwhorter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcwhorter, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mcwhorter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (6,929 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcwhorter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Black (13.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mcwhorter (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 Mcwhorter mean?
An Scottish or Irish occupational surname referring to the son of a chorister, harper, or other musical performer. 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 Mcwhorter (2.96 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 are called Mcwhorter?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Mcwhorter on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.