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

McAvoy, 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 McAvoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McAvoy in America

McAvoy is the 7102nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McAvoy surname appeared 4,715 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McAvoy.

We can also compare 2010 data for McAvoy 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 McAvoy

The surname McAvoy has its origins in Ireland and Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Mac Samhaidh," which means "son of Samhadh." Samhadh is derived from the Old Irish word "samh," meaning "summer" or "summertime."

The McAvoy name can be traced back to County Cavan, Ireland, where it was first recorded in the 13th century. The name was particularly prevalent in the areas of Cavan, Fermanagh, and Monaghan. Historical records show variations in the spelling, including MacCavaddy, MacAvaddy, and McAveety.

One of the earliest recorded references to the McAvoy name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention a "Mac Samhaidh" in the entry for the year 1239, suggesting the name's existence at that time.

In the 16th century, the McAvoy name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereign, a collection of official records from the reign of Henry VIII. This indicates that members of the McAvoy family held positions of importance during that period.

Notable individuals with the surname McAvoy throughout history include:

1. Owen McAvoy (c. 1580-1650), an Irish Catholic priest and historian, known for his work "The Book of Monaghan."
2. John McAvoy (1760-1838), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
3. Thomas McAvoy (1819-1892), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and missionary in the Pacific Northwest.
4. May McAvoy (1899-1984), an American actress who appeared in silent films and early talkies.
5. Aidan McAvoy (born 1958), an Irish hurler who played for the Antrim senior hurling team.

The McAvoy name is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as McAvoy's Lough in County Fermanagh and McAvoy's Bridge in County Cavan, reflecting the historical presence of the family in these regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McAvoy

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

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

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

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