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

McWillie, 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 McWillie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McWillie in America

McWillie is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McWillie surname appeared 107 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McWillie.

The history of the last name McWillie

The surname MCWILLIE is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is a patronymic name, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Willin" or "William" with the prefix "Mc" meaning "son of." The name was prevalent in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire in Scotland.

The earliest recorded instance of the name MCWILLIE can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. One notable entry is that of Gillebertus McWillie, a landowner from Ayrshire.

In the 16th century, the MCWILLIE name is mentioned in the records of the Burgh of Prestwick, where a John MCWILLIE is listed as a burgess (a privileged member of the town) in 1548. The name also appears in the Parish Records of Kilwinning, where a James MCWILLIE is recorded as a witness to a baptism in 1594.

A prominent figure bearing the MCWILLIE surname was Robert MCWILLIE (1630-1707), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the minister of the parish of Kilmarnock from 1661 until his death. He was a staunch supporter of the Presbyterian cause and played a significant role in the religious struggles of the late 17th century in Scotland.

Another notable MCWILLIE was John MCWILLIE (1725-1799), a Scottish merchant and landowner from Ayrshire. He was involved in the tobacco trade and acquired substantial landholdings in the region, including the estate of Ardrossan.

In the 19th century, the MCWILLIE name gained prominence with the contributions of William MCWILLIE (1813-1883), a Scottish engineer and inventor. He is credited with designing and constructing several notable bridges and harbor works, including the Ardrossan Harbor and the Rothesay Dock.

The MCWILLIE surname has also been associated with the village of Mcwilliams, located in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. While the spelling differs slightly, it is believed to have originated from the same Scottish roots, with the name evolving over time and across geographic regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McWillie

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

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 McWillie 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.

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

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

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