2000
#1,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,701
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.93
Uncommon Last name
Mcqueen
A Scottish surname referring to the son of Sween, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Suibhne" meaning "son of Suibhne."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,092 Americans carry the last name Mcqueen. That puts it at #1,825 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,515 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcqueen 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 Mcqueen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,515
Census rank
#1,825
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,265 bearers of the surname Mcqueen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1825th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcqueen, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcqueen
The surname McQueen originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is a Scottish variant of the Gaelic name MacShuibhne, which means "son of Suibhne." Suibhne is derived from the old Norse name Sweyn, meaning "young warrior" or "young man." The prefix "Mac" means "son of" in Gaelic.
The McQueen name is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll in western Scotland, where the Clan McQueen was historically based. The earliest recorded reference to the name dates back to the 13th century, when a charter from 1230 mentions "Sumerletus filius Suyni" (Sumerletus son of Suyni).
In the 14th century, the name appeared in several Scottish records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1364, which mention "Willelmo Makessone" (William McQueen). The name was also recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls listing Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the McQueen surname was Somerled of Argyll, a 12th-century Scottish king and Lord of the Isles. He is often considered the progenitor of the Clan McQueen, although the connection is not definitively proven.
Another prominent figure was Sir John McQueen, a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He is mentioned in the medieval chronicle "The Acts and Deeds of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Elderslie."
In the 16th century, the McQueen family was involved in feuds with the Campbells of Argyll, which led to the burning of Dunavertie Castle, the McQueen clan seat, in 1647.
Other notable individuals with the McQueen surname include:
1. Alistair McQueen (1919-2008), British film director and screenwriter known for films like "The Battle of the River Plate" and "The Sand Pebbles."
2. Alexander McQueen (1969-2010), renowned British fashion designer and couturier known for his avant-garde and unconventional designs.
3. Butterfly McQueen (1911-1995), American actress best known for her role as Prissy in the film "Gone with the Wind."
4. Gordon McQueen (born 1952), Scottish former professional footballer who played for Leeds United and Manchester United.
5. Steve McQueen (1930-1980), American actor and cultural icon known for his roles in films like "The Great Escape," "The Thomas Crown Affair," and "Bullitt."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcqueen
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcqueen, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcqueen 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 Mcqueen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.4% · 10,665
- Black or African American35.6% · 6,864
- Two or more races4.6% · 878
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 648
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 96
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcqueen
Mcqueen 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
#1,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,760
+1,059 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 6.70
Rank movement Down 57 places
2020
#1,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,265
-495 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 6.45
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,757 | 18,701 | 6.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,814 | 19,760 | 6.70 | +1,059 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 57 places |
| 2020 | #1,825 | 19,265 | 6.45 | -495 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 11 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 Mcqueen 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 | #1,814 | #1,825 | -0.6% |
| Count | 19,760 | 19,265 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.70 | 6.45 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcqueen bearers went from 19,760 to 19,265 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,814 to #1,825.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcqueen
FAQ
Mcqueen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcqueen?
Name Census estimates that about 22,092 living Americans carry the surname Mcqueen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,515 residents.
How common is Mcqueen?
Mcqueen ranks #1,825 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,265 people with the surname Mcqueen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,092), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Mcqueen.
Has Mcqueen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcqueen went from 19,760 recorded bearers to 19,265. That is a decrease of 495 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,814 to #1,825.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcqueen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcqueen, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mcqueen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.4% (10,665 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcqueen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.4%), Black (35.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mcqueen (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 Mcqueen mean?
A Scottish surname referring to the son of Sween, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Suibhne" meaning "son of Suibhne." 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 Mcqueen (6.45 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 Mcqueen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.