Explore the Family Name Mclay
The meaning of Mclay
Scottish: variant of McClay, from Scottish Gaelic Mac an Lèigh.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mclay in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Mclay has seen a significant decrease over time. In 2000, Mclay was ranked as the 32,856th most common last name with 658 individuals bearing the moniker. However, by 2010, the rank had slipped to 42,790 and the number of people with the surname had dropped to 506, representing a decrease of 23.1%. The proportion of individuals named Mclay per 100,000 also fell from 0.24 in 2000 to 0.17 in 2010, showing a decline of 29.17%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,856 | #42,790 | -30.23% |
| Count | 658 | 506 | -23.1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.24 | 0.17 | -29.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mclay
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Mclay, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, we see that the majority of people with this surname identify as White, although this percentage decreased slightly from 91.19% in 2000 to 89.13% in 2010. There are also notable increases in the Hispanic and Black communities among Mclay holders; the Hispanic representation rose from 1.22% in 2000 to 1.98% in 2010, while the Black community saw an increase from 6.23% to 7.51% during the same period. However, there was no recorded data for individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity with this surname. Additionally, the proportion of those identifying as belonging to two or more races went from 0.91% in 2000 to zero in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.19% | 89.13% | -2.26% |
| Black | 6.23% | 7.51% | 20.55% |
| Hispanic | 1.22% | 1.98% | 62.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0.91% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |