2000
#35,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 594
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Mcdiarmid
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Diarmaid", meaning "free from envy".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 714 Americans carry the last name Mcdiarmid. That puts it at #38,279 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 480,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcdiarmid 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcdiarmid with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
714
1 in 480,048
Census rank
#38,279
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
623
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 623 bearers of the surname Mcdiarmid in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38279th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdiarmid, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcdiarmid
The surname McDiarmid has its roots in Scotland, originating in the late medieval period. It is a Gaelic name derived from the personal name Diarmaid, which is believed to come from the Old Irish words "diar" meaning "free" and "maith" meaning "good" or "fortunate."
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 15th century in regions such as Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland. Historical records mention individuals bearing the name McDiarmid or variations like MacDiarmaid, MacDiarmed, and McDermid.
One notable early reference is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1505, which mention a Donald McDiarmid. Another example is the Book of the Dean of Lismore, a 16th-century manuscript containing Scottish Gaelic poetry, which includes works by a poet named Dunchadh Mac Dhiarmaid.
The name McDiarmid has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Kilmorie in Argyll and Bute, which was formerly known as Kilmory MacDiarmid. This connection suggests that the name may have originated from a specific clan or family group.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname McDiarmid. One of the earliest was Angus McDiarmid (c. 1679-1753), a Scottish Gaelic poet and sennachie (hereditary bard) from the Isle of Mull. In the 19th century, John McDiarmid (1787-1852), a Scottish inventor and engineer, is credited with developing an early version of the screw propeller for ships.
Other prominent figures include William McDiarmid (1887-1963), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons, and Hugh McDiarmid (1892-1978), a renowned Scottish poet and leading figure in the Scottish Renaissance literary movement. Additionally, Fergus McDiarmid (1906-1944) was a British Army officer who was awarded the Military Cross for his actions during World War II.
The surname McDiarmid has a rich history rooted in Scottish Gaelic culture and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including literature, politics, engineering, and military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcdiarmid
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdiarmid, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcdiarmid 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 Mcdiarmid surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 553
- Two or more races4.7% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 19
- Black or African American2.1% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcdiarmid
Mcdiarmid 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
#35,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 630
+36 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 86 places
2020
#38,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 623
-7 bearers (-1.1%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 2,608 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,757 | 594 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,671 | 630 | 0.21 | +36 bearers (+6.1%) | Up 86 places |
| 2020 | #38,279 | 623 | 0.21 | -7 bearers (-1.1%) | Down 2,608 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 Mcdiarmid 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 | #35,671 | #38,279 | -7.3% |
| Count | 630 | 623 | -1.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.21 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcdiarmid bearers went from 630 to 623 (-1.1% change). The surname moved down 2,608 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,671 to #38,279.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcdiarmid
FAQ
Mcdiarmid surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcdiarmid?
Name Census estimates that about 714 living Americans carry the surname Mcdiarmid. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 480,048 residents.
How common is Mcdiarmid?
Mcdiarmid ranks #38,279 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 623 people with the surname Mcdiarmid. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (714), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Mcdiarmid.
Has Mcdiarmid become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcdiarmid went from 630 recorded bearers to 623. That is a decrease of 7 (-1.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,671 to #38,279.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcdiarmid?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcdiarmid, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Mcdiarmid in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (553 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcdiarmid appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Mcdiarmid (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 Mcdiarmid mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Diarmaid", meaning "free from envy". 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 Mcdiarmid (0.21 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 have the surname Mcdiarmid?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.