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

McCart, 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 McCart surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCart in America

McCart is the 12986th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCart surname appeared 2,364 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McCart.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCart 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 McCart

The surname McCart has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, where it first emerged in the 13th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "ceart" meaning "right" or "just", suggesting that the bearer was the son of an honest or upright individual.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCart surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a certain John McCart is mentioned as a landowner in the county of Argyll. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McCarts were prominent in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. The name appears in various historical records from this period, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296 and the Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, which documents land grants and charters issued by the Scottish monarchy.

A notable bearer of the McCart surname was Sir James McCart (1556-1624), a Scottish noble who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1618 to 1622. He played a significant role in the city's governance and was instrumental in the construction of several public works projects.

Another prominent McCart was Alexander McCart (1686-1761), a Scottish philosopher and theologian who authored several influential works on moral philosophy and natural theology. He served as a minister in the Church of Scotland and was highly regarded for his erudition and intellectual contributions.

In the 18th century, the McCarts were among the many Scottish families who emigrated to the American colonies. One such individual was Robert McCart (1730-1804), a merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia. He and his descendants played an active role in the American Revolutionary War, with several members serving in the Continental Army.

As the McCarts spread throughout the English-speaking world, variations in spelling emerged, including McCarter, McCart, and McCartt. However, the fundamental meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Scottish heritage.

Throughout history, the McCart surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from nobles and scholars to merchants and soldiers. While their stories and contributions may have varied, they all shared a common thread in their Scottish ancestry and the legacy of their name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCart

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

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

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

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