Explore the Family Name Macmillan

The meaning of Macmillan

Scottish: variant of McMillan.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Macmillan in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Macmillan decreased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 5725th and dropped to 6041st in 2010, indicating a -5.52% change. However, the count increased slightly from 5553 to 5688 people, marking a 2.43% growth. The proportion per 100k also decreased by -6.31%, moving from 2.06 to 1.93.

20002010Change
Rank#5,725#6,041-5.52%
Count5,5535,6882.43%
Proportion per 100k2.061.93-6.31%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Macmillan

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the ethnic identity of individuals with the Macmillan surname has diversified over the years. In 2010, 93.69% identified as White, down from 94.99% in 2000. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population had the most significant increase, rising from 1.40% to 2.23%. There was also an increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (0.49% to 0.72%) and Black (1.60% to 1.79%). Additionally, the number of people who identified as being of two or more races rose from 1.21% to 1.34%. Conversely, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased from 0.31% to 0.23%.

20002010Change
White94.99%93.69%-1.37%
Hispanic1.4%2.23%59.29%
Black1.6%1.79%11.87%
Two or More Races1.21%1.34%10.74%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.49%0.72%46.94%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.31%0.23%-25.81%

Macmillan ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Macmillan is British & Irish, which comprises 65.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.7%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Japanese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish65.9%
French & German16.7%
Scandinavian4.4%
Other13.1%
Macmillan

Possible origins of the surname Macmillan

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Macmillan have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom94.90%
Greater London, United Kingdom94.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom94.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom94.90%
West Midlands, United Kingdom94.90%

What Macmillan haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Macmillan is R-S5520, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S5520 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mcmillan, Mcmullen, Mccallum, Mccormick, Mccoy, Knox, Morgan, Mcdonald, Price, Evans.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Macmillan surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

macmillanPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI

The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Macmillan have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Macmillan

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Macmillan" Surname 48.1%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Macmillan

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Macmillan" Surname 14.8%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Macmillan

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Macmillan" Surname 14.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Macmillan

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Macmillan" Surname 13.8%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Macmillan?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Macmillan are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%