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

McWilson, 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 McWilson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McWilson in America

McWilson is the 78316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McWilson surname appeared 244 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 McWilson.

We can also compare 2010 data for McWilson 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 McWilson

The surname McWilson finds its origins in the British Isles, particularly in Scotland and Ireland. It is a patronymic surname, meaning it derived from a person's given name combined with the prefix "Mc" or "Mac," which indicates "son of" in Scottish and Irish Gaelic.

The root of the name "Wilson" is believed to derive from the Old English words "will" and "helm," which together mean "resolute protector" or "helmet of will." This suggests that the name may have originally belonged to a determined or strong-willed individual.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McWilson can be found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1456, where a man named Gilbert McWilson is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in Scotland by the 15th century.

In Ireland, the name is often spelled as "McWilliams," with a similar meaning and origin. Records from the 16th century show instances of individuals with this spelling, such as John McWilliams, who was mentioned in the Fiants of Elizabeth I in 1585.

Notable individuals with the surname McWilson throughout history include:

1. Robert McWilson (1838-1903), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
2. James McWilson (1856-1942), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.
3. John McWilson (1892-1968), a Scottish footballer who played as a defender for clubs like Celtic and Middlesbrough in the early 20th century.
4. Marjorie McWilson (1913-2008), an American author and journalist known for her works on women's studies and feminist topics.
5. Alasdair McWilson (born 1949), a Scottish actor and playwright who has appeared in various television shows and stage productions.

The surname McWilson has also been linked to certain place names, such as Wilsontown in Scotland, which is believed to have derived its name from an individual named Wilson who resided in the area.

While the name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, its core meaning and Scottish/Irish roots have remained consistent, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McWilson

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

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

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

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