2000
#2,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,235
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.16
Uncommon Last name
Mcneely
Derived from the Gaelic Mac an Fhílí, meaning "son of the poet," an occupational surname for a bard or poet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,221 Americans carry the last name Mcneely. That puts it at #3,314 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,046 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcneely 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 Mcneely with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,046
Census rank
#3,314
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,657 bearers of the surname Mcneely in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3314th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneely, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcneely
The surname McNeely has its origins in Scotland, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is a variant of the Gaelic name "Mac Naomhall," which translates to "son of the servant of the storm god." This suggests that the name may have originated from a clan or family with ties to ancient pagan beliefs or associations with the natural elements.
In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared with various spellings, including MacNeillie, McNeillie, and McNele, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in those times. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish noblemen who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
The McNeely surname has strong connections to the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles. It is believed that the name may have originated in or around the Isle of Islay, where several notable McNeely families resided in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Historical records from the 16th century mention a John McNeely, who was a prominent landowner and chieftain in the Argyll region. Another notable figure was Lachlan McNeely, a Scottish soldier who fought alongside William Wallace in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th century.
The McNeelys played a significant role in the Jacobite risings of the 17th and 18th centuries, with several members of the clan supporting the cause of the exiled Stuart monarchy. One such figure was Duncan McNeely, a Jacobite commander who led a regiment at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
In the 19th century, the McNeely surname gained recognition with the birth of John McNeely (1815-1890), a prominent Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Another notable figure was Agnes McNeely (1860-1942), a Scottish suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and social reform.
As the McNeely family spread across Scotland and beyond, variations of the name emerged, such as McNeillie and McNelly, reflecting regional dialects and spellings. The surname has also been found in Ireland, particularly in Ulster, where it may have been adopted by Scottish settlers during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcneely
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneely, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcneely 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 Mcneely surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 8,591
- Black or African American10.8% · 1,149
- Two or more races4.1% · 434
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 327
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcneely
Mcneely 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
#3,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,350
+115 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 3.85
Rank movement Down 242 places
2020
#3,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,657
-693 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 3.57
Rank movement Down 131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,941 | 11,235 | 4.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,183 | 11,350 | 3.85 | +115 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 242 places |
| 2020 | #3,314 | 10,657 | 3.57 | -693 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 131 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 Mcneely 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 | #3,183 | #3,314 | -4.1% |
| Count | 11,350 | 10,657 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.85 | 3.57 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcneely bearers went from 11,350 to 10,657 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 131 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,183 to #3,314.
FAQ
Mcneely surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcneely?
Name Census estimates that about 12,221 living Americans carry the surname Mcneely. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,046 residents.
How common is Mcneely?
Mcneely ranks #3,314 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,657 people with the surname Mcneely. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,221), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Mcneely.
Has Mcneely become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcneely went from 11,350 recorded bearers to 10,657. That is a decrease of 693 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,183 to #3,314.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcneely?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneely, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Mcneely in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (8,591 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcneely appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (10.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Mcneely (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 Mcneely mean?
Derived from the Gaelic Mac an Fhílí, meaning "son of the poet," an occupational surname for a bard or poet. 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 Mcneely (3.57 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 common is the surname Mcneely?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Mcneely at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.