Find out how popular the first name Macgregor has been for the last 46 years (from 1974 to 2019) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Macgregor by gender

Based on the last 46 years of data, Macgregor is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2019, there were 7 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Macgregor.

The history of the first name Macgregor

The name Macgregor is of Scottish origin and has its roots in the Gaelic language. It is a patronymic name, meaning "son of Gregor" or "son of a Greek man." The prefix "Mac" means "son of" in Gaelic.

The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century, during the Middle Ages in Scotland. It is derived from the ancient personal name Gregor, which is the Scottish form of the Greek name Gregorios, meaning "watchful" or "vigilant."

The Macgregor clan was a prominent Highland Scottish clan that played a significant role in the history of Scotland. The clan's ancestral lands were located in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. The name Macgregor is closely associated with this clan and its rich cultural heritage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Macgregor can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents from the late 13th century that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name "Gregore Makgregre" appears in these rolls.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Macgregor. One of the most famous was Rob Roy Macgregor (1671-1734), a Scottish folk hero and outlaw who fought against the Duke of Montrose's oppressive policies. Another notable figure was Sir Duncan Macgregor (1787-1881), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became the Governor of the British Virgin Islands.

Sir Evan John Macgregor (1828-1892) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and colonial administrator who served as the Chief Secretary of Queensland. John Macgregor (1825-1892) was a Scottish explorer and colonial administrator who explored parts of West Africa and served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the British territories in the region.

Lastly, Gregor Macgregor (1786-1845), a Scottish adventurer and soldier, gained fame for his attempts to establish a colony in Central America, which he called the "Territory of Poyais." Despite his exploits being considered fraudulent, his name has become associated with the concept of utopian schemes.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Macgregor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Macgregor, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!