2000
#8,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,731
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Mcgann
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Ceann," meaning "son of the chief."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,392 Americans carry the last name Mcgann. That puts it at #8,279 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,041 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgann 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 Mcgann with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,041
Census rank
#8,279
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,830 bearers of the surname Mcgann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8279th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgann, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgann
The surname McGann has its origins in Ireland, with the name first appearing in historical records around the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic name MacGhanna, which means "son of Gann" or "son of the fair one." The name Gann is thought to have been a pet form of the Irish name Gannon, which itself is a diminutive of the name Ogan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McGann name dates back to the 13th century, with a reference to a Gillacomain McGann in the Annals of Connacht in 1256. These annals were a chronicle of events in the west of Ireland, suggesting that the McGann surname may have originated in that region.
Over the centuries, various spellings of the name have been documented, including McGhann, McGan, and McGahan. Some of these variations may have been due to anglicization or regional differences in pronunciation and spelling.
The McGann surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Sean McGann (1922-1984), an Irish stage and film actor who appeared in numerous productions, including the 1962 film adaptation of James Joyce's "Ulysses."
Another prominent McGann was Bartholomew McGann (1865-1932), an American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Woolworth Building and the St. Regis Hotel.
In the literary world, Thomas McGann (1856-1942) was an Irish poet and playwright who wrote several works in the Irish language, contributing to the Irish Literary Revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The McGann name has also been connected to certain place names, such as McGann's Pass in South Australia, which was named after an early settler and pastoralist named Patrick McGann.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McGann surname in England can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1170, where a person named William McGann is mentioned.
While these are just a few examples, the McGann surname has a rich history that spans centuries and can be traced back to its Irish origins, with various notable individuals bearing the name over the years.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgann
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgann, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgann 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 Mcgann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 3,284
- Black or African American5.3% · 203
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 168
- Two or more races3.4% · 129
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgann
Mcgann 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
#8,547
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,853
+122 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 371 places
2020
#8,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,830
-23 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,176 | 3,731 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,547 | 3,853 | 1.31 | +122 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 371 places |
| 2020 | #8,279 | 3,830 | 1.28 | -23 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 268 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 Mcgann 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 | #8,547 | #8,279 | 3.1% |
| Count | 3,853 | 3,830 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.28 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgann bearers went from 3,853 to 3,830 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 268 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,547 to #8,279.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcgann
FAQ
Mcgann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgann?
Name Census estimates that about 4,392 living Americans carry the surname Mcgann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,041 residents.
How common is Mcgann?
Mcgann ranks #8,279 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,830 people with the surname Mcgann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,392), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcgann.
Has Mcgann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgann went from 3,853 recorded bearers to 3,830. That is a decrease of 23 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,547 to #8,279.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgann, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Hispanic (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 Mcgann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (3,284 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Black (5.3%), Hispanic (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 Mcgann (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 Mcgann mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Ceann," meaning "son of the 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 Mcgann (1.28 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 share the surname Mcgann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.