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

McCarther, 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 McCarther surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCarther in America

McCarther is the 54990th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCarther surname appeared 374 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McCarther.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCarther 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 McCarther

The surname MCCARTHER originates from the Irish Gaelic Mac Artair, meaning 'son of Arthur'. It is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland, specifically in the regions of Argyllshire and Perthshire, in the 12th century.

The name is derived from the ancient Celtic name Arthur, which means 'bear' or 'bear-man'. The prefix 'Mac' is a Gaelic term used to denote a familial relationship, in this case, indicating that the bearer was the son of someone named Arthur.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as 'McArthur' in these records.

In the 16th century, the MCCARTHER name was prominent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. Notable historical figures bearing this surname include John MCCARTHER (1584-1648), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1636.

Another notable figure was Sir Donald MCCARTHER (1641-1718), a Scottish Jacobite soldier and chief of the Clan MCCARTHER, who fought in the Battle of Killiecrankie during the Jacobite Rising of 1689.

In the 18th century, the MCCARTHER name gained prominence in the United States, with many Scottish immigrants carrying the name to the New World. One such individual was Duncan MCCARTHER (1721-1785), a Scottish-American soldier and surveyor who fought in the French and Indian War and later served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

The MCCARTHER name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Ardchattan in Argyll, which is derived from the Gaelic 'Ard Chattan', meaning 'Chattan's height', a reference to a medieval clan chief.

Throughout history, the spelling of the name has varied, with variations such as MacArthur, McArthur, and MacCartair appearing in different records. However, the modern spelling of MCCARTHER has become the most widely accepted form.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCarther

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

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

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

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