2000
#6,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,064
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Macgregor
A Scottish surname referring to someone descended from Gregor or Gregory.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,761 Americans carry the last name Macgregor. That puts it at #6,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,496 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macgregor surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Macgregor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,496
Census rank
#6,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,024 bearers of the surname Macgregor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macgregor, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macgregor
The surname MacGregor originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is a Clan name derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Griogair" meaning "son of Gregor", a personal name itself derived from the Greek name "Gregorios" meaning "watchful". The name is associated with the Scottish Highlands, particularly the areas around Loch Lomond and Argyll.
The MacGregors were a prominent clan in 16th and 17th century Scotland, known for their involvement in various conflicts and feuds with rival clans such as the Campbells and the Colquhouns. In 1603, the entire clan was outlawed and proscribed by King James VI of Scotland, leading many MacGregors to adopt other surnames or disguise their identity.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland. The name appears as "Gregori filio Gregorii" and "Malcolmi MacGregor".
Notable individuals with the surname MacGregor include:
1. Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734), a famous Scottish folk hero, cattle trader, and outlaw who played a significant role in the Jacobite uprisings.
2. Sir Duncan MacGregor (1787-1881), a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and later became the Governor of the British Virgin Islands.
3. John MacGregor (1825-1892), a Scottish explorer, travel writer, and philanthropist, known for his innovative use of the "Rob Roy" canoe for exploring rivers and waterways.
4. Gregor MacGregor (1786-1845), a Scottish soldier and adventurer who briefly established a short-lived Central American colony called "Poyais" and sold land grants to European settlers.
5. Ewan MacGregor (born 1971), a Scottish actor known for his roles in films such as "Trainspotting", "Moulin Rouge!", and the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy.
The name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Glengyle (from the Gaelic "Gleann Ghobhail", meaning "the MacGregor's Glen") and Loch Sloy, derived from the Gaelic "Slochd Sluaigh" meaning "the MacGregor's Host".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macgregor
Among Census respondents with the surname Macgregor, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Macgregor bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Macgregor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 4,563
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 192
- Two or more races3.3% · 168
- Black or African American0.9% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macgregor
Macgregor appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,161
+97 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Down 344 places
2020
#6,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,024
-137 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Up 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,221 | 5,064 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,565 | 5,161 | 1.75 | +97 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 344 places |
| 2020 | #6,495 | 5,024 | 1.68 | -137 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 70 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Macgregor surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,565 | #6,495 | 1.1% |
| Count | 5,161 | 5,024 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.75 | 1.68 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macgregor bearers went from 5,161 to 5,024 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,565 to #6,495.
FAQ
Macgregor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macgregor?
Name Census estimates that about 5,761 living Americans carry the surname Macgregor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,496 residents.
How common is Macgregor?
Macgregor ranks #6,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,024 people with the surname Macgregor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,761), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Macgregor.
Has Macgregor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macgregor went from 5,161 recorded bearers to 5,024. That is a decrease of 137 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,565 to #6,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Macgregor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macgregor, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Macgregor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (4,563 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macgregor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Macgregor (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Macgregor mean?
A Scottish surname referring to someone descended from Gregor or Gregory. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Macgregor (1.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Macgregor?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Macgregor on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.