2000
#12,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,284
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Macrae
Son of grace, or son of the fortunate one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,635 Americans carry the last name Macrae. That puts it at #12,799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,078 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macrae 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 Macrae with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,078
Census rank
#12,799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,298 bearers of the surname Macrae in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macrae, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macrae
The surname MACRAE has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name "MacRath," which means "son of grace" or "son of fortune." The name is believed to have originated in the region of Ross-shire, particularly around the areas of Easter Ross and the Black Isle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homages rendered to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "MacRath," suggesting its ancient Gaelic roots. Over time, the spelling evolved into various forms, such as MacRae, MacRae, and MacCrae, before settling on the modern spelling of MACRAE.
The MACRAE name has been linked to several historical figures and events. In the 16th century, a branch of the clan played a prominent role in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547, where they fought alongside the Scottish forces against the English army. One notable MACRAE from this period was Reverend Christopher MACRAE (1552-1622), a Scottish minister and author who wrote extensively on religious matters.
During the 17th century, the MACRAE clan was involved in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, with many members supporting the Royalist cause. One of the most famous figures from this era was Sir Colin MACRAE (1604-1689), a Scottish soldier and chief of the MACRAE clan, who fought alongside the Marquis of Montrose in the Scottish Civil War.
In the 18th century, the MACRAE name gained further prominence with the exploits of Gillies MACRAE (1734-1808), a Scottish soldier and adventurer who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is known for his daring escape from a British prison ship and his subsequent efforts to aid the patriot cause.
Another notable MACRAE was John MACRAE (1808-1892), a Scottish-born explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of natural history in Australia. He is renowned for his extensive collections of plant and animal specimens, as well as his detailed observations of the Australian landscape and indigenous cultures.
Throughout history, the MACRAE surname has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Inverinate in Ross-shire, where the MACRAE clan had a significant presence. The name has also been linked to locations like Clachan Srath in Badenoch, which was once a MACRAE stronghold.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macrae
Among Census respondents with the surname Macrae, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Macrae 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 Macrae surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 2,043
- Two or more races3.6% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 80
- Black or African American2.7% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macrae
Macrae 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
#13,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,330
+46 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 672 places
2020
#12,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,298
-32 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 339 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,466 | 2,284 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,138 | 2,330 | 0.79 | +46 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 672 places |
| 2020 | #12,799 | 2,298 | 0.77 | -32 bearers (-1.4%) | Up 339 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 Macrae 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 | #13,138 | #12,799 | 2.6% |
| Count | 2,330 | 2,298 | -1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.77 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macrae bearers went from 2,330 to 2,298 (-1.4% change). The surname moved up 339 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,138 to #12,799.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Macrae
FAQ
Macrae surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macrae?
Name Census estimates that about 2,635 living Americans carry the surname Macrae. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,078 residents.
How common is Macrae?
Macrae ranks #12,799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,298 people with the surname Macrae. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,635), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Macrae.
Has Macrae become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macrae went from 2,330 recorded bearers to 2,298. That is a decrease of 32 (-1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,138 to #12,799.
What does the Census say about the background of Macrae?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macrae, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Macrae in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (2,043 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macrae appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Macrae (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 Macrae mean?
Son of grace, or son of the fortunate one. 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 Macrae (0.77 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 are called Macrae?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Macrae, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.