2000
#80,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 218
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Mcewing
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacEóghainn" meaning "son of Eoghan".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 236 Americans carry the last name Mcewing. That puts it at #95,069 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,452,349 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcewing 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 Mcewing with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
236
1 in 1,452,349
Census rank
#95,069
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
206
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 206 bearers of the surname Mcewing in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 95069th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewing, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcewing
The surname MCEWING is believed to have originated in Scotland during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cuitheing," which translates to "son of the strange one." This name likely referred to someone who was considered an outsider or stranger in a particular community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCEWING name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Mackewyn de Carric," suggesting the family originated from the region of Carrick in Ayrshire.
By the 15th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of MCEWING. In 1492, a James MCEWING was recorded as a merchant in the city of Aberdeen. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Alexander MCEWING, a Scottish soldier who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.
The MCEWING name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 17th century, Alexander MCEWING (1620-1678) was a prominent Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. During the 18th century, John MCEWING (1734-1812) was a respected Scottish philosopher and educator who served as the principal of the University of Glasgow.
In the 19th century, Robert MCEWING (1822-1897) was a Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry in England. He is remembered for his significant contributions to educational and charitable causes in his later years.
Another notable bearer of the MCEWING name was Sir James MCEWING (1868-1945), a Scottish politician and lawyer who served as the Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1920 to 1922. He played a crucial role in shaping legal reforms and policies during his time in office.
Throughout its history, the MCEWING surname has been associated with various regions of Scotland, particularly the areas of Ayrshire, Aberdeenshire, and the Scottish Borders. While the name has spread across the globe, its roots remain firmly tied to its Scottish heritage and the rich cultural traditions of the Gaelic-speaking Highlands and Islands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcewing
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewing, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcewing 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 Mcewing surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.3% · 149
- Black or African American17.5% · 36
- Two or more races4.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcewing
Mcewing 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
#86,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
-4 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 6,169 places
2020
#95,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
-8 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 8,088 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #80,812 | 218 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #86,981 | 214 | 0.07 | -4 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 6,169 places |
| 2020 | #95,069 | 206 | 0.07 | -8 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 8,088 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 Mcewing 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 | #86,981 | #95,069 | -9.3% |
| Count | 214 | 206 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcewing bearers went from 214 to 206 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 8,088 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,981 to #95,069.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcewing
FAQ
Mcewing surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcewing?
Name Census estimates that about 236 living Americans carry the surname Mcewing. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,452,349 residents.
How common is Mcewing?
Mcewing ranks #95,069 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 206 people with the surname Mcewing. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (236), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Mcewing.
Has Mcewing become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcewing went from 214 recorded bearers to 206. That is a decrease of 8 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #86,981 to #95,069.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcewing?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcewing, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.3%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Mcewing in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.3% (149 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcewing appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.3%), Black (17.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Mcewing (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 Mcewing mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacEóghainn" meaning "son of Eoghan". 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 Mcewing (0.07 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 Mcewing?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.