The McClellan surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 26,060 people carried this name — #1,356 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 11,300 people counted. That is up 4% from 24,986 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McClellan surname

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Fhaolain and Irish Mac Giolla Fhaoláin (“son of the servant of Faolán”), a personal name thought to be a diminutive of Irish faol (“wolf”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McClellan» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, McClellan was counted together with McClelland: 178 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,051 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McClelland, McClaland, McClalen, McClalin, McClallan, McClallen, McClallin, McClayland, McClelan, McCleland, McClelean, McClellan, McClellen, Mcclelon, McLaland, McLallan, McLallen, McLeeland, McLeland, Mcleland, McLelen, McLellan, McLellen, McLillan. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 90
Virginia 17
Maine 16
Maryland 13
New York 12
North Carolina 11
South Carolina 8
Massachusetts 7
New Hampshire 2
Rhode Island 1
Connecticut 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 252 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McClellan in American newspapers,
1886–1906.

Newspaper page from The Butte Inter Mountain carrying the name McClellan
The Butte Inter Mountain 1901-11-27
Newspaper page from The Montgomery Advertiser carrying the name McClellan
The Montgomery Advertiser 1906-02-11
Newspaper page from Great Falls Tribune carrying the name McClellan
Great Falls Tribune 1886-04-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

McClellan in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

2,524 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McClellan. The most, 701, date from the 1940s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,328
Victoria 682
Western Australia 179
South Australia 116
Queensland 114
Tasmania 50
ACT (Canberra) 48
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McClellan.

Who carried it

People named McClellan,
with a public archive behind them.

  • George Brinton McClellan
    George Brinton McClellan 1826–1885 · army officer
  • John L. McClellan
    John L. McClellan 1896–1977 · politician
  • George Brinton McClellan Harvey
    George Brinton McClellan Harvey 1864–1928 · journalist
  • George B. McClellan Jr.
    George B. McClellan Jr. 1865–1940 · art collector
  • Beverly McClellan 1969–2018 · singer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named McClellan,
in the records of 4 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,918 records

1,918 records of the McClellan name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 902
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 368
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 359
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 115
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 79
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 76
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 8
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 7
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 4
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Harlan E. McClellan

    Born 1931; from Lane County, Oregon. U.S. Army, light weapons infantry leader; killed in action 1952 in North Korea. Buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Irma R. McClellan

    Born 1908 in Illinois. Enlisted 1943 in the Women's Army Corps at Omaha, Nebraska; sales clerk. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1981, buried at Black Hills National Cemetery, South Dakota.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth McClellan

    Arrived at New York in 1855 aboard the Progress from Liverpool, aged 24; servant. From Co Down, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,918 records for McClellan in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia122 records

122 records of the McClellan name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 78
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 32
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 5
  • Tasmanian Names Index 5
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizth McClellan

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Sultana, aged 26; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Wallace N. McClellan

    Council employee of Nunawading, Victoria; died 1974.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Francis David McClellan

    Married 1914 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 122 records for McClellan in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada65 records

65 records of the McClellan name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 36
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 11
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 7
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 5
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 3
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Allan McClellan

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Waldensian, landing at Quebec, bound for P.a. Landing, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Donald McClellan

    Died 1997, aged 90; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Alice Eliza McClellan

    Died 1970 in Dartmouth, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 88.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 65 records for McClellan in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom4 records

4 records of the McClellan name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. McClellan

    Cheshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. McClellan

    Lance Corporal, Scottish Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. McClellan

    Durham Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 4 records for McClellan in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McClellan.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McClellan is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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