2000
#42,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 481
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Mclerran
An Anglicized form of the Scottish surname MacLaran, derived from the Gaelic meaning "son of Lawrence."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 583 Americans carry the last name Mclerran. That puts it at #45,381 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 587,915 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mclerran 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
583
1 in 587,915
Census rank
#45,381
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
508
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 508 bearers of the surname Mclerran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45381st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclerran, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mclerran
The surname McLerran is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic 'Mac Labhruinn', which means 'son of the talkative one'. This name first emerged in the 12th century in the western Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Bute.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the nobility of Scotland who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as 'Maclauryn', a variant spelling common at the time.
During the 16th century, the McLerran clan was involved in several feuds with neighboring clans, including the Campbells and the Macdonalds. These conflicts were documented in various historical records, such as the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland.
In the late 17th century, a notable figure with the surname McLerran was John McLerran (1645-1718), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who emigrated to Ireland and played a significant role in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Ulster.
Another prominent individual was Robert McLerran (1771-1843), a Scottish-born merchant and politician who served as a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the early 19th century.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name was William McLerran (1780-1856), who served as a Major in the War of 1812 and later settled in Ohio.
The name has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as McLerran Hill in Argyll and Bute, and the village of McLerran near Loch Lomond.
Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the surname have been common, including McLerrane, McLerren, McLarren, and McLaurin, among others. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its distinct Scottish heritage and roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mclerran
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclerran, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mclerran 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 Mclerran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 461
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 22
- Two or more races3.7% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mclerran
Mclerran 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
#45,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 475
-6 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 2,668 places
2020
#45,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 508
+33 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 276 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,437 | 481 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,105 | 475 | 0.16 | -6 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 2,668 places |
| 2020 | #45,381 | 508 | 0.17 | +33 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 276 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 Mclerran 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 | #45,105 | #45,381 | -0.6% |
| Count | 475 | 508 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.17 | 6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mclerran bearers went from 475 to 508 (+6.9% change). The surname moved down 276 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,105 to #45,381.
FAQ
Mclerran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mclerran?
Name Census estimates that about 583 living Americans carry the surname Mclerran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 587,915 residents.
How common is Mclerran?
Mclerran ranks #45,381 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 508 people with the surname Mclerran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (583), 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 Mclerran.
Has Mclerran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mclerran went from 475 recorded bearers to 508. That is an increase of 33 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #45,105 to #45,381.
What does the Census say about the background of Mclerran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mclerran, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mclerran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (461 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mclerran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Mclerran (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 Mclerran mean?
An Anglicized form of the Scottish surname MacLaran, derived from the Gaelic meaning "son of Lawrence." 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 Mclerran (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 have the surname Mclerran?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.