2000
#28,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 799
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Very Rare Last name
Mccargo
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cernaigh" meaning son of the brewer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 990 Americans carry the last name Mccargo. That puts it at #29,220 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 346,217 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccargo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, 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
990
1 in 346,217
Census rank
#29,220
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
863
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 863 bearers of the surname Mccargo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29220th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccargo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Two or More Races (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccargo
The surname MCCARGO has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "cargagh" which translates to "cargo" or "load carrier." This suggests that the name initially referred to individuals involved in transporting goods or cargo, perhaps a profession passed down through generations.
MCCARGO is an anglicized version of the original Gaelic spelling "MacCargadh." Early records from the 16th and 17th centuries often show variations such as "MacCargo," "McCargoe," and "McCargho," reflecting the fluidity of spelling and pronunciation during that time period.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded homages rendered to King Edward I of England. The entry "William McCargho de Lanark" suggests the name's presence in the Lanarkshire region of Scotland.
In the 17th century, the McCargos were predominantly found in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. The name is also associated with the Isle of Arran, where several McCargo families were recorded in parish registers from the late 16th century onwards.
Notable individuals with the MCCARGO surname include:
1. Archibald McCargo (1638-1712), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a role in the establishment of the Darien scheme, an ill-fated attempt to establish a Scottish colony on the Isthmus of Panama.
2. Margaret McCargo (1745-1821), a renowned Scottish weaver and embroiderer, whose intricate tapestries were highly sought after by the gentry of the time.
3. John McCargo (1782-1856), a Scottish-born farmer and pioneer who settled in Upper Canada (now Ontario) in the early 19th century, establishing one of the first farming communities in the Niagara region.
4. William McCargo (1812-1876), an American Civil War veteran who fought for the Union Army and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Chickamauga.
5. Eliza McCargo (1891-1969), a Scottish-American educator and activist who advocated for women's rights and played a pivotal role in the suffrage movement in the United States.
While the MCCARGO surname may not be among the most common in present times, its rich history and origins in Scotland's past serve as a testament to the resilience and contributions of those who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccargo
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccargo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Two or More Races (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccargo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
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 Mccargo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American74.5% · 643
- White13.1% · 113
- Two or more races7.9% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccargo
Mccargo appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#26,932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 901
+102 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 1,262 places
2020
#29,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 863
-38 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 2,288 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,194 | 799 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,932 | 901 | 0.31 | +102 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 1,262 places |
| 2020 | #29,220 | 863 | 0.29 | -38 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 2,288 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mccargo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,932 | #29,220 | -8.5% |
| Count | 901 | 863 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.29 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccargo bearers went from 901 to 863 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 2,288 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,932 to #29,220.
FAQ
Mccargo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccargo?
Name Census estimates that about 990 living Americans carry the surname Mccargo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 346,217 residents.
How common is Mccargo?
Mccargo ranks #29,220 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 863 people with the surname Mccargo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (990), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mccargo.
Has Mccargo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccargo went from 901 recorded bearers to 863. That is a decrease of 38 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #26,932 to #29,220.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccargo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccargo, the largest self-reported group is Black at 74.5%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Two or More Races (7.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mccargo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.5% (643 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccargo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (74.5%), White (13.1%), Two or More Races (7.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mccargo (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mccargo mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cernaigh" meaning son of the brewer. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mccargo (0.29 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Mccargo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.