2000
#7,708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,980
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Mcphee
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Dhuibhshíthe, meaning "son of the dark fairy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,600 Americans carry the last name Mcphee. That puts it at #7,933 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,512 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcphee 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 Mcphee with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,512
Census rank
#7,933
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,011 bearers of the surname Mcphee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7933rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcphee, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcphee
The surname McPhee is a Scottish name derived from the Gaelic Mac Phaidh, meaning "son of the tonsured one" or "son of the servant." It originated in the Highlands of Scotland, specifically in the regions of Argyll, Inverness-shire, and Perthshire.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the form "MacPhee" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1292. During this period, the name was also spelled as "MacPhie" and "MacPhai."
In the 16th century, the McPhees were a prominent clan in the Western Isles of Scotland, particularly on the islands of Islay and Colonsay. They were known for their allegiance to the Lords of the Isles and their involvement in various clan conflicts.
One notable McPhee from this era was Donald McPhee, a clan chief who fought alongside the Earl of Argyll during the Scottish Reformation in the late 16th century. Another was Lachlan McPhee, who is mentioned in the Argyll Manuscripts in 1685 as a prominent landowner on the island of Colonsay.
In the 17th century, the McPhee name appeared in the records of the Scottish Parliament, with John McPhee serving as a commissioner for Argyllshire in 1689.
As the Scottish diaspora spread around the world, the McPhee name traveled with them. In the 18th century, James McPhee (1737-1796) was a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia, United States.
During the 19th century, the name gained prominence in literature with James McPhee (1821-1882), a Scottish poet and novelist, and Donald McPhee (1867-1916), a Scottish-born writer who emigrated to Canada and became known for his works depicting life in the Canadian wilderness.
Other notable individuals with the surname McPhee include Duncan McPhee (1925-2018), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman, and John McPhee (born 1931), an acclaimed American writer and journalist known for his non-fiction works on various subjects, including environmental issues and sports.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcphee
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcphee, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcphee 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 Mcphee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 3,211
- Black or African American12.4% · 496
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 130
- Two or more races3.0% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcphee
Mcphee 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
#8,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,065
+85 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 450 places
2020
#7,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,011
-54 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,708 | 3,980 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,158 | 4,065 | 1.38 | +85 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 450 places |
| 2020 | #7,933 | 4,011 | 1.34 | -54 bearers (-1.3%) | Up 225 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 Mcphee 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 | #8,158 | #7,933 | 2.8% |
| Count | 4,065 | 4,011 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.34 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcphee bearers went from 4,065 to 4,011 (-1.3% change). The surname moved up 225 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,158 to #7,933.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcphee
FAQ
Mcphee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcphee?
Name Census estimates that about 4,600 living Americans carry the surname Mcphee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,512 residents.
How common is Mcphee?
Mcphee ranks #7,933 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 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 4,011 people with the surname Mcphee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,600), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 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 Mcphee.
Has Mcphee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcphee went from 4,065 recorded bearers to 4,011. That is a decrease of 54 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,158 to #7,933.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcphee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcphee, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Mcphee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (3,211 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcphee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (12.4%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Mcphee (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 Mcphee mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Dhuibhshíthe, meaning "son of the dark fairy." 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 Mcphee (1.34 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 Mcphee?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.