The McWilliams surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 20,523 people carried this name — #1,746 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 14,400 people counted. That is up 2% from 20,135 in 2000.

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In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 43 births for the McWilliams name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,900 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 3 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim and Londonderry.”

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 38
Connacht 2
Leinster 2
Munster 1

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

In Scotland’s registers today

McWilliams was recorded 33 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 744th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 45. 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 the first U.S. census, 1790

44 families named McWilliams, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 223 people lived in those households, 5.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. 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 18
New York 8
South Carolina 7
Maryland 4
Virginia 3
North Carolina 3
New Hampshire 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. 253 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McWilliams in American newspapers,
1884.

Newspaper page from The Milan Exchange carrying the name McWilliams
The Milan Exchange 1884-01-26
Newspaper page from The Democratic Leader carrying the name McWilliams
The Democratic Leader 1884-04-05
Newspaper page from The Bolivar Bulletin carrying the name McWilliams
The Bolivar Bulletin 1884-01-24

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

In print

McWilliams in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

12,403 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McWilliams. The most, 3,812, date from the 1920s. 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 Tasmania, at 3.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,101
Tasmania 2,850
Victoria 2,420
Queensland 1,333
South Australia 1,316
Western Australia 1,299
ACT (Canberra) 49
Northern Territory 15

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

Who carried it

People named McWilliams,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Caroline McWilliams
    Caroline McWilliams 1945–2010 · film actor
  • David McWilliams 1945–2002 · guitarist
  • Carey McWilliams 1905–1980 · journalist

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

In the public record

People named McWilliams,
in the records of 5 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 States2,141 records

2,141 records of the McWilliams name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 718
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 412
  • Other U.S. records 1,011
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Roy M. McWilliams

    Born 1940; from Mableton, Georgia. U.S. Army, ranger; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. Buried at Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia.

    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 Abraham E. McWilliams

    Born 1926 in Mississippi. Enlisted 1944 at Camp Shelby; farmer from Sunflower County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Westlawn Memorial Gardens, Cleveland, Mississippi.

    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 Catherine McWilliams

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 25; domestic. From Belfast, Ireland; bound for New York.

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

Showing 3 of 2,141 records for McWilliams in the United States.

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

Australia552 records

552 records of the McWilliams name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 217
  • Tasmanian Names Index 208
  • Other Australian records 127
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Robert George McWilliams

    Married 1872 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 28. Died 1905 in Tasmania, aged 62.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Frances Eleanor McWilliams

    Died 1931 in Tasmania, aged 71. Will registered in Tasmania in 1931.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 William McWilliams

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Marquis of Huntley, arriving 1835; certificate of freedom 1850.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 552 records for McWilliams in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada116 records

116 records of the McWilliams name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 56
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 16
  • Other Canadian records 44
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Go McWilliams

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Minerva, landing at Quebec, bound for Guelph, Ontario; English.

    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 Grace McWilliams

    Buried in 1993 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 91.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jacob Joseph McWilliams

    Died 1950 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 116 records for McWilliams in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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).

New Zealand19 records

19 records of the McWilliams name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 10
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 9
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Martha Letita McWilliams

    Buried in 1910 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 81.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Milne McWilliams

    Died 1999, aged 64; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ruth McWilliams

    Died 1988, aged 67; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for McWilliams in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District 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).

United Kingdom13 records

13 records of the McWilliams name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 9
  • Stirling Council burial records 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jessie Ross McWilliams

    Died 1981, aged 73; buried at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. McWilliams

    Lancashire Fusiliers. 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 page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Hugh McWilliams

    Buried in 1969 at Strathblane Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 76.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 13 records for McWilliams 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. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); 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 McWilliams.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McWilliams 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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