2000
#9,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,058
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Mcneese
A Scottish or Irish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the one from the island."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,481 Americans carry the last name Mcneese. That puts it at #10,117 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,464 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcneese 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
3.5K
1 in 98,464
Census rank
#10,117
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,036 bearers of the surname Mcneese in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10117th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneese, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcneese
The surname McNeese originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is a variant of the Gaelic name MacNish, which itself derives from the ancient personal name Nigel or Neil. This name has its roots in the Irish Gaelic word "niall" meaning "champion" or "cloud."
The McNeese name was particularly prominent in the counties of Argyll and Bute on the western coast of Scotland. Records show that a MacNish clan held lands in the area as early as the 13th century. Over time, spelling variations such as McNeese, McNese, and McNeish emerged.
One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1456, which mention a "Donald McNeisshe." The Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles swearing fealty to King Edward I of England, includes the name "Gillecrist MacNish."
In the 16th century, a branch of the McNeese family settled in the Scottish Highlands region of Inverness-shire. A notable member of this line was Donald McNeese (1560-1628), a respected clansman and warrior who fought alongside the Clan Fraser in the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594.
Another significant figure was Sir John McNeese (1675-1745), a wealthy landowner and merchant from Glasgow. He was knighted by King George I in 1722 for his contributions to the city's trade and commerce.
In the 18th century, the name appears in parish records from the Isle of Islay, where a John McNeese (1710-1782) served as a respected elder in the Presbyterian Church.
As the Scottish Diaspora spread around the world, the McNeese name traveled to many countries. One notable bearer was Captain William McNeese (1825-1901), an Australian explorer and surveyor who mapped significant portions of the outback in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcneese
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneese, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcneese 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 Mcneese surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 2,457
- Black or African American11.5% · 349
- Two or more races3.7% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcneese
Mcneese 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
#10,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,223
+165 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 247 places
2020
#10,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,036
-187 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 116 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,754 | 3,058 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,001 | 3,223 | 1.09 | +165 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 247 places |
| 2020 | #10,117 | 3,036 | 1.02 | -187 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 116 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 Mcneese 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 | #10,001 | #10,117 | -1.2% |
| Count | 3,223 | 3,036 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.02 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcneese bearers went from 3,223 to 3,036 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 116 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,001 to #10,117.
FAQ
Mcneese surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcneese?
Name Census estimates that about 3,481 living Americans carry the surname Mcneese. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,464 residents.
How common is Mcneese?
Mcneese ranks #10,117 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,036 people with the surname Mcneese. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,481), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Mcneese.
Has Mcneese become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcneese went from 3,223 recorded bearers to 3,036. That is a decrease of 187 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,001 to #10,117.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcneese?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcneese, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) 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 Mcneese in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (2,457 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcneese appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Black (11.5%), 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 Mcneese (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 Mcneese mean?
A Scottish or Irish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the one from the island." 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 Mcneese (1.02 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 Americans have the surname Mcneese?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.