2000
#39,240
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 528
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Mckern
An Irish surname transferred from the Gaelic "Mac Cearnaigh" meaning son of Cearnaigh (the small freckled man).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 580 Americans carry the last name Mckern. That puts it at #45,537 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 590,956 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckern 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
580
1 in 590,956
Census rank
#45,537
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
506
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 506 bearers of the surname Mckern in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45537th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckern, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckern
The surname MCKERN is of Scottish origin, originating in the Highlands region of Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is a variant of the name MacKerran or Makaran, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Aran" or "Arran," meaning "high" or "elevated."
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various Scottish records and historical documents. One notable reference is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
In the 16th century, the MCKERN surname was particularly prevalent in the areas of Argyll, Inverness-shire, and the Hebrides islands. It was often associated with clans and families who held lands in these regions, such as the Clan MacKerran or the MacKerran family of Bute.
One of the earliest known bearers of the MCKERN name was Dougal MacKerran, a 14th-century Scottish chieftain who was recorded as a witness to a charter granted by Robert II, King of Scots, in 1385.
In the 17th century, the spelling variations of the name began to emerge, with variations such as McKern, McKeirn, and McKirn appearing in various records and documents.
Several notable individuals have borne the MCKERN surname throughout history. One example is Sir Andrew McKern (1720-1792), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1778 to 1780.
Another prominent figure was John McKern (1803-1876), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in the 19th century.
In the realm of literature, the poet and author Robbie McKern (1909-1988) was a notable figure. Born in Glasgow, he was renowned for his works capturing the Scottish working-class experience and was a recipient of the prestigious Saltire Society Book of the Year award.
The MCKERN surname has also been carried by notable figures in the arts and entertainment industry, such as actor Brian McKern (1944-2021), known for his roles in films like "The Sum of All Fears" and "Patriot Games."
Another individual of note was James McKern (1856-1926), a Scottish-born American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Chicago, including the Auditorium Building and the Chicago Public Library.
While the MCKERN surname may have evolved over time, it remains deeply rooted in its Scottish heritage, with a rich history spanning centuries and a legacy carried on by individuals from various walks of life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckern
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckern, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckern 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 Mckern surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 465
- Two or more races4.3% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 17
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckern
Mckern 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
#47,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 446
-82 bearers (-15.5%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 8,281 places
2020
#45,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 506
+60 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 1,984 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,240 | 528 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #47,521 | 446 | 0.15 | -82 bearers (-15.5%) | Down 8,281 places |
| 2020 | #45,537 | 506 | 0.17 | +60 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 1,984 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 Mckern 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 | #47,521 | #45,537 | 4.2% |
| Count | 446 | 506 | 13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.17 | 12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckern bearers went from 446 to 506 (+13.5% change). The surname moved up 1,984 positions in the national ranking, going from #47,521 to #45,537.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mckern
FAQ
Mckern surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckern?
Name Census estimates that about 580 living Americans carry the surname Mckern. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 590,956 residents.
How common is Mckern?
Mckern ranks #45,537 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 506 people with the surname Mckern. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (580), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Mckern.
Has Mckern become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckern went from 446 recorded bearers to 506. That is an increase of 60 (+13.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #47,521 to #45,537.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckern?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckern, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Mckern in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (465 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckern appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Mckern (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 Mckern mean?
An Irish surname transferred from the Gaelic "Mac Cearnaigh" meaning son of Cearnaigh (the small freckled man). 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 Mckern (0.17 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 Mckern?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.