Meaning and background
The story behind Mclean
McLean is a Scottish family name tracing to Gaelic Mac Gille Eáin, referring to a son of a devotee of Saint John. It has a long association with the Scottish island of Mull through Clan Maclean. In English the letters can look as though they refer to cleanliness, but that is not the surname's historical meaning. Its compact written shape and familiar sound are part of its appeal as a dog name.
- Origin
- Scottish surname from Gaelic Mac Gille Eáin, “son of the devotee of Saint John”. Source
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Everyday moments“Mclean, come here!”
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About Mclean
Recorded as a dog’s name
Mclean appears in 3 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/məklin/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
Other dictionary readings and notation
/məklin/ · primary stress on syllable 2M AH0 K L IY1 N
/məkleɪn/ · primary stress on syllable 2M AH0 K L EY1 N
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.