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

Meechan, 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 Meechan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Meechan in America

Meechan is the 83226th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Meechan surname appeared 226 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 Meechan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Meechan 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 Meechan

The surname MEECHAN is of Scottish origin and is believed to have emerged in the late 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic term "macan," meaning "son," and is a diminutive form of the surname MacKean.

The earliest recorded instances of the MEECHAN name can be found in parish records from the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. In the 17th century, the name was often spelled as "Meechan," "Meachan," or "Meachen."

One of the earliest known bearers of the MEECHAN name was John Meechan, born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, in 1624. He was a farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Stevenston.

In the 18th century, the MEECHAN family spread throughout Scotland, with various branches settling in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the Scottish Borders. During this period, the name was sometimes anglicized as "Meechin" or "Meachin."

A notable bearer of the MEECHAN name was Robert Meechan (1789-1867), a Scottish architect who designed several prominent buildings in Glasgow, including the Hutchesons' Hospital and the Western Club.

Another significant figure was James Meechan (1821-1891), a Scottish industrialist and philanthropist. He founded the Meechan Shipbuilding Company in Greenock and donated funds for the construction of several schools and churches in the area.

In the 19th century, many MEECHAN families migrated to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Canada was William Meechan, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1831.

A notable Canadian bearer of the MEECHAN name was Sir Thomas Meechan (1879-1958), a businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and the Senate.

As the MEECHAN name spread across the globe, various spellings and variations emerged, such as "Meechin," "Meachin," "Meechem," and "Meachem." However, the original Scottish spelling of "MEECHAN" remains the most prevalent form.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Meechan

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

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

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

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