The McMahon surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 39,411 people carried this name — #883 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 7,490 people counted. That is up 2% from 38,557 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McMahon surname

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Mathúna, earlier spelling Mac Mathghamhna (literally “son of the bear”), from Middle Irish mac (“son”) and mathgamain (“bear”).

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

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 241 births for the McMahon name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 10,700 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 5 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Clare, Monaghan, Limerick, and Dublin.”

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 118
Ulster 86
Leinster 34
Connacht 3

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

33 people named McMahon live in Switzerland.

They live in 5 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 16
Bern 5
Zug 5
Vaud 4
Solothurn 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

37 people named McMahon is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 37

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland’s registers today

McMahon was recorded 110 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 228th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 168. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

McMahon in American newspapers,
1873–1911.

Newspaper page from The Hawaiian Gazette carrying the name McMahon
The Hawaiian Gazette 1911-11-28
Newspaper page from The Rutland Daily Globe carrying the name McMahon
The Rutland Daily Globe 1873-08-09
Newspaper page from The Hawaiian Star carrying the name McMahon
The Hawaiian Star 1911-12-05

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 222,073 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McMahon in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

141,762 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McMahon. The most, 28,691, date from the 1930s. 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 the Australian Capital Territory, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 52,441
Victoria 23,190
Queensland 23,081
South Australia 17,445
Western Australia 14,206
ACT (Canberra) 7,185
Tasmania 3,137
Northern Territory 193

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

Who carried it

People named McMahon,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William McMahon
    William McMahon 1908–1988 · diplomat
  • Henry McMahon
    Henry McMahon 1862–1949 · beamter
  • Vincent J. McMahon
    Vincent J. McMahon 1914–1984 · professional wrestling promoter
  • Julian McMahon 1968–2025 · video game actor
  • Ed McMahon 1923–2009 · film actor

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

In the public record

People named McMahon,
in the records of 7 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 States14,701 records

14,701 records of the McMahon name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 5,096
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 4,302
  • Other U.S. records 5,303
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James Harold McMahon

    Born 1950; from Newton, Massachusetts. U.S. Marine Corps, assaultman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. Buried at Newton Cemetery, Newton Center, Massachusetts.

    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 Anthony L. McMahon

    Born 1926 in Minnesota. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Snelling; telegraph operator. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    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 Annastatia McMahon

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the City of Berlin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 19; servant. From Limerick, Ireland; bound for New York.

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

Showing 3 of 14,701 records for McMahon in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Australia5,107 records

5,107 records of the McMahon name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 2,159
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 1,101
  • Other Australian records 1,847
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Rose McMahon

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the John William Dare, sailing from Dublin in 1851. Native of Cavan. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1852.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Owen McMahon

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Hyderabad, sailing from Kingston in 1849. Native of Monaghan. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Cathr McMahon

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Almora, aged 39; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 5,107 records for McMahon 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) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada292 records

292 records of the McMahon name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 150
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 31
  • Other Canadian records 111
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Joseph McMahon

    Killed in 1937 at the Dominion No. 10 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt McMahon

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the Scan, bound for Kingston, Ontario; Ireland.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record James R. McMahon

    Buried in 1966 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 50.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 292 records for McMahon in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); 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).

United Kingdom63 records

63 records of the McMahon name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 38
  • Stirling Council burial records 18
  • Other British records 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frances McMahon

    Buried in 1876 at Mar Place Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 66.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Mary McMahon

    Will proved in 1902; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  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. McMahon

    Lincolnshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 63 records for McMahon in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand55 records

55 records of the McMahon name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 34
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 15
  • Other New Zealand records 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John McMahon

    Died 1933, aged 91; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Theresa McMahon

    Died 1951, aged 59; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas McMahon

    Buried in 1899 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 21.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 55 records for McMahon in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Ireland12 records

12 records of the McMahon name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Martin McMahon

    Died 2001, aged 92; buried at Rakerin, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bernard Mc Mahon

    Died 1945, aged 84; buried at Derrybrien, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 12 records for McMahon in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the McMahon name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Walter Edward McMahon

    Married in 1946 in Veendam; driver.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register John Mc Mahon

    In the population register of Wishaw (Gb); student, born 1915 in Wishaw (Gb).

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 5 records for McMahon in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McMahon.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McMahon 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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