2000
#85,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Mcnown
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Naomhóg meaning "son of the devotee" or "son of the holy one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 205 Americans carry the last name Mcnown. That puts it at #106,101 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,671,972 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcnown 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
205
1 in 1,671,972
Census rank
#106,101
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
179
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 179 bearers of the surname Mcnown in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 106101st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnown, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcnown
The surname MCNOWN originated from the Scottish Highlands in the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "naomh" meaning "saint" or "holy person". The name likely referred to an ancestor who was a religious figure or had some connection to the church.
In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as McNaun, McNaughen, and McNaughton before evolving into the modern spelling of MCNOWN. It is believed to have originated in the area around Argyll and the Isles, where Gaelic was the predominant language.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage recordings made during the Scottish Wars of Independence. The name appears as "Gillecrist McNaun" from the county of Dunbarton.
In the 17th century, the MCNOWN family established themselves in the parish of Kilmun, Argyllshire. Notable members from this era include John MCNOWN (1635-1712), a prominent landowner and local magistrate, and his son, Robert MCNOWN (1670-1745), who served as the parish minister.
As the MCNOWN clan spread across Scotland and beyond, the name appeared in various records and documents. In the 18th century, James MCNOWN (1720-1795) was a successful merchant in Glasgow, while William MCNOWN (1775-1842) was a respected academic and author of several works on Scottish history and culture.
During the 19th century, the MCNOWN name gained prominence in North America as many Scottish immigrants settled in Canada and the United States. One notable figure was Alexander MCNOWN (1810-1892), a pioneer and entrepreneur who established one of the first successful cattle ranches in Montana.
Throughout its history, the MCNOWN surname has been associated with a strong Scottish heritage and a connection to the Highland clans. While not a particularly common name, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from clergymen and landowners to merchants and pioneers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcnown
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnown, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcnown 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 Mcnown surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 168
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 5
- Two or more races2.2% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcnown
Mcnown 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
#98,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 183
-19 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 12,986 places
2020
#106,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 179
-4 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 7,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,996 | 202 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,982 | 183 | 0.06 | -19 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 12,986 places |
| 2020 | #106,101 | 179 | 0.06 | -4 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 7,119 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 Mcnown 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 | #98,982 | #106,101 | -7.2% |
| Count | 183 | 179 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcnown bearers went from 183 to 179 (-2.2% change). The surname moved down 7,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,982 to #106,101.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcnown
FAQ
Mcnown surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcnown?
Name Census estimates that about 205 living Americans carry the surname Mcnown. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,671,972 residents.
How common is Mcnown?
Mcnown ranks #106,101 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 179 people with the surname Mcnown. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Mcnown.
Has Mcnown become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcnown went from 183 recorded bearers to 179. That is a decrease of 4 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #98,982 to #106,101.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcnown?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnown, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Mcnown in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (168 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcnown appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Mcnown (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 Mcnown mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Naomhóg meaning "son of the devotee" or "son of the holy one". 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 Mcnown (0.06 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 Mcnown?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.