Mcclure
Scottish surname transferred to a given name meaning "bright streams".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Mcclure. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mcclure today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mcclure births was 1917 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mcclure. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mcclure. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1917
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1925 SSA rank
#4,660
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Mcclure: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mcclure from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mcclure by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mcclure during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mcclure
The given name Mcclure has its origins rooted in Scotland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish surname McClure, which itself is a variant of the more common MacLure or Maclure surname. These surnames were initially adopted by Scottish clans as a means of identifying one's lineage and family ties.
The name Mcclure is thought to have originated from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "lùir" which translates to "bend" or "loop." This could potentially refer to a topographical feature or a description of a person's physical appearance. It is also speculated that the name may have connections to the Scottish town of Lure, lending credence to its geographical roots.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mcclure can be found in the written works of the Scottish poet and playwright William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585-1649), who mentioned a person named Mcclure in his writings from the early 17th century. This provides evidence of the name's usage during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the given name Mcclure. One such figure was Sir Robert McClure (1807-1873), a British naval officer and explorer who led an expedition in search of the Northwest Passage in the Arctic. His efforts contributed significantly to the mapping and understanding of the Arctic regions.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Mcclure Naismith (1856-1935), a Scottish engineer and inventor who is credited with the development of the first successful pneumatic tyre for bicycles. His innovation paved the way for the widespread adoption of pneumatic tyres in various modes of transportation.
In the realm of literature, Mcclure Hamilton (1933-2005) was an American author best known for his historical novels set during the American Revolution. His works, such as "Arundel" and "The Scorpion's Gate," were widely acclaimed for their meticulous research and compelling narratives.
The name Mcclure also found its way into the world of sports with Mcclure "Mac" Brown (1905-1985), an American football player and coach. He played professionally for the Chicago Bears and later served as the head coach for several college teams, including the University of Southern California and Oklahoma State University.
Lastly, Mcclure Murphy (1889-1966) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the United States Attorney General under President Harry S. Truman from 1939 to 1940. He played a significant role in shaping legal policies during his tenure in the Truman administration.
People
Mcclure + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mcclure as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mcclure: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mcclure?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mcclure going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Mcclure a common name?
We classify Mcclure as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mcclure most popular?
The single biggest year for Mcclure was 1917, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mcclure is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Mcclure in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mcclure a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mcclure in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Mcclure still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mcclure in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Mcclure can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Mcclure?
See how many Americans are named Mcclure on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.