Find out how popular the last name Magee is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Magee.

Magee, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Magee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Magee in America

Magee is the 1269th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Magee surname appeared 27,720 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Magee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Magee to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Magee

The surname Magee originated in Ireland, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Mac Aoidh," which means "son of Hugh" or "son of Aodh." The name Aodh is derived from the old Irish word "Aed," meaning "fire."

Historically, the Magee surname was predominantly found in counties Derry and Antrim, in the northern part of Ireland. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 17th century, when it appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from that region.

One of the earliest known references to the name Magee is in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, where several individuals with the surname are listed as residing in County Antrim. Additionally, the name appears in the Ulster Plantation Records from the early 17th century, indicating that members of the Magee family were among the Scottish and English settlers who were granted land in Ulster during that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Magee throughout history include James Magee (1707-1793), an Irish-born American merchant and politician who served as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1766 to 1767. Another prominent figure was John Magee (1794-1868), a Scottish-born American industrialist and politician who played a significant role in the development of the coal and iron industries in Pennsylvania.

In the literary world, John Magee (1922-1941) was an American poet and aviator who wrote the famous poem "High Flight," which was published posthumously after his death in World War II. William Magee (1766-1831), an Irish clergyman and poet, is also remembered for his works, including "On the Making of Books" and "Thoughts in Prison."

Martha Magee (1856-1940), an Irish artist and illustrator, was renowned for her work in the Arts and Crafts movement, and her illustrations in books such as "The Arabian Nights" and "Irish Fairy Tales."

Throughout history, the Magee surname has been associated with various place names and locations, particularly in Ireland and Scotland. For instance, the town of Magee in County Antrim, Ireland, is believed to have derived its name from the Magee family who once lived in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Magee

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Magee.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Magee was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Magee has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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