2000
#21,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Mccardell
Scottish patronymic surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Cathmhaoil, meaning "wealthy battle-chief".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,327 Americans carry the last name Mccardell. That puts it at #22,750 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 258,293 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccardell 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
1.3K
1 in 258,293
Census rank
#22,750
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,157 bearers of the surname Mccardell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22750th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccardell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccardell
The surname MCCARDELL is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Carthach," which means "loving." This name was commonly found in regions like Argyll, Ayrshire, and the Hebrides islands during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the form "MacCarddell" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish noblemen who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
In the 16th century, the name evolved into various spellings such as "McCardle," "McCardill," and "McCardell." This variation was likely due to the phonetic transcription of the name by English-speaking scribes and record-keepers.
One notable bearer of the MCCARDELL surname was Sir John McCardell (1592-1673), a Scottish military officer who served under King Charles I during the English Civil War. He was knighted for his bravery and loyalty on the battlefield.
Another prominent figure was Robert McCardell (1802-1880), a Scottish-born author and journalist who immigrated to the United States in the 1820s. He founded several newspapers in New York City and was an influential voice in the American literary scene.
In the 18th century, the MCCARDELL name can be found in parish records from the Isle of Islay, one of the Hebrides islands, suggesting a strong connection between the surname and this region of Scotland.
The name MCCARDELL also has a long history in Ireland, particularly in counties like Antrim and Down, where it is thought to have been introduced by Scottish settlers during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century.
One notable Irish bearer of the name was Patrick McCardell (1787-1864), a Catholic priest and educator who founded several schools in County Down and was a prominent figure in the Irish education system of his time.
Throughout the centuries, the MCCARDELL surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, soldiers, clergymen, and professionals, contributing to the rich tapestry of Scottish and Irish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccardell
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccardell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccardell 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 Mccardell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.2% · 731
- Black or African American28.3% · 328
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 37
- Two or more races3.1% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccardell
Mccardell 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
#21,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,180
+51 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 433 places
2020
#22,750
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,157
-23 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 764 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,553 | 1,129 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,986 | 1,180 | 0.40 | +51 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 433 places |
| 2020 | #22,750 | 1,157 | 0.39 | -23 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 764 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 Mccardell 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 | #21,986 | #22,750 | -3.5% |
| Count | 1,180 | 1,157 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.39 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccardell bearers went from 1,180 to 1,157 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 764 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,986 to #22,750.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mccardell
FAQ
Mccardell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccardell?
Name Census estimates that about 1,327 living Americans carry the surname Mccardell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 258,293 residents.
How common is Mccardell?
Mccardell ranks #22,750 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,157 people with the surname Mccardell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mccardell.
Has Mccardell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccardell went from 1,180 recorded bearers to 1,157. That is a decrease of 23 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #21,986 to #22,750.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccardell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccardell, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.2%. The next largest groups are Black (28.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Mccardell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.2% (731 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccardell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.2%), Black (28.3%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Mccardell (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 Mccardell mean?
Scottish patronymic surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Cathmhaoil, meaning "wealthy battle-chief". 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 Mccardell (0.39 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 Mccardell?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Mccardell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.