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

McCabe, 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 McCabe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCabe in America

McCabe is the 1154th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCabe surname appeared 30,401 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname McCabe.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCabe 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 McCabe

The surname McCabe originates from Ireland, specifically the northern province of Ulster. It is an Anglicized form of the Old Irish Gaelic name Mac Caba, which means "son of Caba." The name Caba is thought to derive from the Gaelic word cab, meaning "mouth" or "revered one."

McCabe is a variant spelling of the Irish surname MacCabe, which was first found in County Cavan, where the family was part of the Ui Briuin Breifne, a powerful dynasty that ruled much of northwestern Ireland during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded example of the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, which mention a Gilla na Naem MacCaba who died in 1212.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McCabe family held significant territories in County Cavan and neighboring areas. They were known as a powerful sept (clan) and were frequently involved in conflicts with neighboring clans and the English authorities. In 1591, Sir Brian McCabe of Cavan was among the Irish chieftains who attended the Parliament summoned by Sir John Perrot, Lord Deputy of Ireland.

The surname also appears in historical records related to the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the Williamite War in Ireland (1689-1691), during which many McCabes fought for the Catholic Jacobite cause against the Protestant forces of William of Orange.

Notable individuals with the surname McCabe include:

1. William Bernard McCabe (1801-1891), an Irish-born prelate who served as the second Bishop of Dublin in the Roman Catholic Church.

2. James Dabney McCabe (1842-1920), an American lawyer, journalist, and historian who wrote extensively about the American Civil War.

3. Edward Payson McCabe (1850-1920), an American evangelist and temperance leader known as the "Apostle of the Prohibitionists."

4. Lida Rose McCabe (1846-1935), an American writer and lecturer who was one of the first female dramatic critics in the United States.

5. Charles Cardwell McCabe (1836-1906), an American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The surname McCabe has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as McCabe's Parish in County Cavan, which was named after the prominent McCabe family that held lands in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCabe

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

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

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

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