2000
#10,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,687
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Mckellar
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place near Ayr, meaning "the fort of Eallair."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,277 Americans carry the last name Mckellar. That puts it at #10,679 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,594 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckellar 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 Mckellar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 104,594
Census rank
#10,679
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,858 bearers of the surname Mckellar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10679th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckellar, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckellar
The surname McKellar has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the lands of Kellar or Keillor, located in the former counties of Angus and Perthshire. The name is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "cill" meaning church and "fholair" meaning pool or marsh, suggesting a connection to a church near a marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 14th century, where a Willelmus de Kelore is mentioned in the Records of the Abbey of Cupar in 1366. This early spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of the name over time.
In the 16th century, the McKellar family held significant influence in the Angus region. The Household Books of James V, King of Scots, mention a John McKellar who served as the King's Tailor in 1537. This record provides insight into the family's prominence during that era.
The McKellars were also involved in the Scottish Reformation, with John McKellar being listed as a reader at the Kirk of Auchterderran in Fife in 1567. This connection to religious affairs further underscores the name's potential ecclesiastical origins.
Notable individuals with the McKellar surname include:
1. Kenneth McKellar (1927-2010), a renowned Scottish tenor known for his performances of traditional Scottish songs.
2. John McKellar (1734-1778), a Scottish-born soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and was a member of the Culper Spy Ring.
3. Janice McKellar (born 1939), a Canadian actress best known for her role as Miss Crabtree on the television series "The Little Rascals."
4. David McKellar (born 1935), an Australian mathematician and author who has written extensively on mathematics and its applications.
5. Archibald McKellar (1812-1894), a Scottish-born businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons.
The McKellar surname has endured through centuries, with its origins firmly rooted in Scotland's rich history and cultural traditions. Its presence in various historical records and its association with notable individuals reflect the name's significance and longevity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckellar
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckellar, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckellar 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 Mckellar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.4% · 2,012
- Black or African American20.6% · 589
- Two or more races5.0% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckellar
Mckellar 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
#10,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,921
+234 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 24 places
2020
#10,679
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,858
-63 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,876 | 2,687 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,900 | 2,921 | 0.99 | +234 bearers (+8.7%) | Down 24 places |
| 2020 | #10,679 | 2,858 | 0.96 | -63 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 221 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 Mckellar 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 | #10,900 | #10,679 | 2.0% |
| Count | 2,921 | 2,858 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.96 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckellar bearers went from 2,921 to 2,858 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 221 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,900 to #10,679.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mckellar
FAQ
Mckellar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckellar?
Name Census estimates that about 3,277 living Americans carry the surname Mckellar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,594 residents.
How common is Mckellar?
Mckellar ranks #10,679 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,858 people with the surname Mckellar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,277), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Mckellar.
Has Mckellar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckellar went from 2,921 recorded bearers to 2,858. That is a decrease of 63 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,900 to #10,679.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckellar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckellar, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Mckellar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.4% (2,012 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckellar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.4%), Black (20.6%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Mckellar (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 Mckellar mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place near Ayr, meaning "the fort of Eallair." 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 Mckellar (0.96 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 last name Mckellar?
See how many people are called Mckellar on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.