Explore the Family Name Mclean
The meaning of Mclean
Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Gille Eáin, ‘son of the servant (i.e. devotee) of (Saint) John’. Compare Irish McAloon and McGlone. History: This is the name of a major Scottish clan traditionally associated with the island of Mull, which claims descent from Gille Eáin na Tuaidh (‘Gillean of the Battleaxe’), who lived in the 13th century.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mclean in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Mclean has seen a slight decrease in popularity from the year 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 768th most common surname, but by 2010, it had slipped to 801st place, reflecting a decline of 4.3%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Mclean surname increased from 40,871 in 2000 to 43,260 in 2010, marking an increase of 5.85%. This suggests that while the name may have dropped in rank, it is still growing in overall usage.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #768 | #801 | -4.3% |
| Count | 40,871 | 43,260 | 5.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 15.15 | 14.67 | -3.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mclean
The Decennial U.S. Census data also reveals the diversity of ethnic identities associated with the Mclean surname. The largest group identified as white, making up 70.6% of Mcleans in 2000 and 66.95% in 2010, indicating a decrease of 5.17%. People identifying as black made up the second largest group, increasing from 24.8% in 2000 to 26.91% in 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic constituted 1.79% in 2000 and rose to 2.63% in 2010, while those identifying as two or more races increased from 1.80% to 2.14%. Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Natives held the smallest proportions, but both saw increases over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 70.6% | 66.95% | -5.17% |
| Black | 24.8% | 26.91% | 8.51% |
| Hispanic | 1.79% | 2.63% | 46.93% |
| Two or More Races | 1.8% | 2.14% | 18.89% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.7% | 29.63% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.46% | 0.66% | 43.48% |
Mclean 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 Mclean is British & Irish, which comprises 58.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.2%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Eastern European, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.1% |
| French & German | 17.2% |
| Scandinavian | 4.4% |
| Other | 20.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Mclean
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 Mclean have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 83.40% |
What Mclean 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 Mclean is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z17815, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mcclain, Mcdonald, Evans, Patterson, Black, Lewis, Thomas, Thompson, Jones, Owens.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mclean surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Mclean 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Mclean" Surname 46.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Mclean" Surname 24.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mclean" Surname 22.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Mclean" Surname 17.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mclean?
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 Mclean are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition