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

McArthur, 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 McArthur surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McArthur in America

McArthur is the 2844th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McArthur surname appeared 12,683 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 McArthur.

We can also compare 2010 data for McArthur 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 McArthur

The surname McArthur is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Artair" and the patronymic prefix "Mac" meaning "son of". The name ultimately traces its roots to the ancient Greek name "Arthuros", which was Latinized as "Artorius" and later evolved into the name Arthur.

The McArthur name first appeared in the historical records of the 12th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being a Gillecrist MacArthur who witnessed a charter by King William the Lion of Scotland in 1179. The name was particularly prevalent in the region of Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the McArthur clan played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, with several members of the clan being recorded as supporters of Robert the Bruce. One notable McArthur was John MacArthur, who fought alongside Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

In the 16th century, the McArthurs were involved in various clan conflicts and feuds with neighboring clans such as the Campbells and the MacDonalds. One of the most prominent members of the clan during this period was Sir John McArthur, who served as the Chamberlain of Argyll in the early 1500s.

Over the centuries, the McArthur name has been spelled in various ways, including MacArthur, McArther, and MacArter. The name has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Artur and Arthuret, which may have influenced its spelling and pronunciation.

Among the notable individuals who have borne the McArthur surname throughout history are:

1. John McArthur (1755-1840), a Scottish navigator and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Pacific Ocean.
2. Sir William McArthur (1809-1887), a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
3. John McArthur (1826-1906), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Winnipeg.
4. Charles McArthur (1895-1956), an American playwright and screenwriter best known for his work on the classic film "Gone with the Wind".
5. Douglas McArthur (1880-1964), an American five-star general who commanded the Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McArthur

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

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

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

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