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

McAlary, 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 McAlary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McAlary in America

McAlary is the 79075th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McAlary surname appeared 241 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McAlary.

We can also compare 2010 data for McAlary 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 McAlary

The surname MCALARY originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Laomuinn, which translates to "son of the beloved." The name was initially concentrated in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides islands.

One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where a John McAlaryn is recorded as a landowner in Argyllshire. The spelling variations at the time included McAlaryn, McAlaren, and McAloren.

During the 16th century, the name appeared in various Highland clan records, such as the Book of Clan Ranald, which documented the lineage of the Clan Ranald, a prominent branch of the Clan Donald. A notable figure from this era was Iain McAlary (c. 1510-1580), a renowned warrior and chieftain of the Clan Ranald.

In the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of Scotland, particularly the Lowlands, due to the migration of Highland families. One notable individual from this period was Robert McAlary (1635-1701), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1691.

During the 18th century, the MCALARY name appeared in several parish records and historical documents, such as the Old Parish Registers of Kilmartin, Argyll. A prominent figure from this era was Duncan McAlary (1720-1788), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the town of Campbeltown.

In the 19th century, the MCALARY name continued to be prevalent in Scotland, with records indicating families residing in various regions, including Argyll, Inverness-shire, and the Hebrides. One notable individual from this period was Alexander McAlary (1811-1882), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McAlary

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

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

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

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