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

McAfee, 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 McAfee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McAfee in America

McAfee is the 2898th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McAfee surname appeared 12,371 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname McAfee.

We can also compare 2010 data for McAfee 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 McAfee

The surname MCAFEE originates from Scotland, tracing its roots back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Oighre" meaning "heir" or "defter". The name suggests that the original bearer was the heir or successor to a position of importance within a Scottish clan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. In this document, the name is spelled as "M'Affee" and "McAfee".

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MCAFEE name was prevalent in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire in western Scotland. Some variations of the spelling included "McAffee", "McAfee", and "McAfie". The name was also associated with the lands of Coylton in Ayrshire, where a family of MCAFEE's held significant property and influence.

Notable figures throughout history bearing the MCAFEE surname include Robert McAfee (1784-1849), an American Presbyterian missionary and founder of Park College in Missouri. Another prominent individual was John McAfee (1885-1972), a politician from Northern Ireland who served as a Member of Parliament for the Ulster Unionist Party.

In the 18th century, a branch of the MCAFEE family migrated to County Antrim, Ireland, where they settled in the area known as Ballymonaghan. One member of this branch, Samuel McAfee (1771-1850), later emigrated to America and became a prominent figure in the early settlement of Kentucky.

Another notable MCAFEE was Rev. James McAfee (1738-1808), a Presbyterian minister and one of the founders of the town of Knoxville, Tennessee. His son, Robert Brank McAfee (1784-1849), was a soldier and politician who served as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.

The MCAFEE surname has also been associated with several place names, including McAfee Knob, a well-known hiking destination in Virginia's Appalachian Mountains, and the town of McAfee, New Jersey, named after a local landowner.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and prominence of the MCAFEE surname, which has its roots firmly planted in the Scottish Highlands and has left an indelible mark on various regions around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McAfee

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

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 McAfee 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 McAfee 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 McAfee was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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