Mccarey
An Anglicized form of the Gaelic Irish surname Mac Ciaraidh referring to one from County Kerry.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 514 Americans carry the last name Mccarey. That puts it at #47,614 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 666,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccarey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
514
1 in 666,837
Census rank
#47,614
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
445
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 445 bearers of the surname Mccarey in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 47614th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccarey, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccarey
The surname MCCAREY originated in Ireland, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname "Mac Cearraidhe," which translates to "son of Cearraidhe." The name Cearraidhe itself is derived from the word "cearr," meaning "left-handed" or "awkward."
The MCCAREY surname is most commonly found in counties such as Donegal, Sligo, and Mayo in the northwestern region of Ireland. This area was historically known for its strong Gaelic cultural traditions and resistance to English rule, which may have contributed to the preservation of the name over the centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MCCAREY can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Cearraidhe Mac Cearraidhe" in the year 1199.
In the 16th century, the MCCAREY surname is documented in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of royal records from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. These records mention individuals with the surname MCCAREY, often in connection with land grants or legal disputes.
Notable individuals with the surname MCCAREY throughout history include:
1. Patrick MCCAREY (born c. 1760, died c. 1820), an Irish soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania.
2. John MCCAREY (1858-1929), an Irish-American political cartoonist and illustrator known for his work in publications such as Harper's Weekly and The New York Herald.
3. Leo MCCAREY (1898-1969), an American film director and screenwriter who won three Academy Awards for his works, including the classic comedy "The Awful Truth" (1937).
4. Michael MCCAREY (born 1938), an American singer and actor best known for his roles in the musicals "Hair" and "Jesus Christ Superstar."
5. Ray MCCAREY (1904-1948), an American professional baseball player who played for the New York Giants and the Boston Braves in the 1920s and 1930s.
The surname MCCAREY has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Carrigmaccaree (Carraig Mhic Cearraidhe) in County Mayo, which translates to "the rock of the son of Cearraidhe."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccarey
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccarey, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccarey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mccarey surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.2%
- Black or African American20.0%
- Hispanic or Latino2.7%
- Two or more races1.1%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Mccarey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #47,614 | #47,614 | 0.0% |
| Count | 445 | 445 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Mccarey bearers went from 445 to 445 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #47,614 to #47,614.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mccarey
FAQ
Mccarey surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Mccarey?
The surname Mccarey holds position #47,614 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 514 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Mccarey surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccarey, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Black (20.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.