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

Mislan, 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 Mislan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mislan in America

Mislan is the 122314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mislan surname appeared 141 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 Mislan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mislan 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 Mislan

The surname Mislan is believed to have originated from the Gaelic region of Scotland, specifically in the area around Argyll and Bute. The name is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "Mysilingr," which means "a person from the Møre region of Norway." This suggests that the name may have been brought to Scotland by Norse settlers during the Viking Age, sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mislan can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "William de Mislane," indicating that the surname had already been established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the name Mislan is documented in the records of the Clan MacLean, a powerful Scottish clan with roots in the Hebrides Islands. A notable member of the clan during this time was Iain Dubh Mislan, who lived from around 1530 to 1595 and was known for his role in a famous clan battle against the MacDonalds.

The surname Mislan is also connected to several place names in Scotland, such as Mislan Glen in Argyll and Bute, and Mislan Burn, a stream in the Scottish Borders region. These place names suggest that the name was well-established in various parts of Scotland by the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name outside of Scotland can be found in the Register of the Privy Council of England, dated 1635, which mentions a "John Mislan" from the city of Bristol. This indicates that the name had spread to England by the 17th century, likely due to migration or trade between the two countries.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Mislan, including:

1. Sir John Mislan (c. 1580-1647), a Scottish soldier and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1636 to 1638.
2. Robert Mislan (1670-1738), a Scottish writer and philosopher who published a treatise on the nature of consciousness.
3. Elizabeth Mislan (1745-1812), a Scottish poet and playwright whose works were published posthumously.
4. James Mislan (1810-1887), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
5. Archibald Mislan (1888-1965), a Scottish historian and academic who specialized in the study of medieval Scotland and the Clan MacLean.

While the surname Mislan is relatively uncommon today, its historical roots can be traced back to the medieval period in Scotland, where it was closely associated with various clans, place names, and notable individuals who played significant roles in the country's history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mislan

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

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

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

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