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

McCary, 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 McCary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCary in America

McCary is the 11882nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCary surname appeared 2,635 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 McCary.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCary 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 McCary

The surname MCCARY originated in Scotland and Ireland during the medieval period. It is a variant of the Irish Gaelic name Mac Ciaráin, which means "son of Ciarán." Ciarán was a popular given name derived from the Old Irish word "ciar," meaning "black" or "dark-featured."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MCCARY can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1156, a man named Gilla Ciaráin Mac Ciaráin is mentioned, indicating the presence of the surname in Ireland during the 12th century.

The MCCARY surname is also linked to several Scottish clans, such as the Clan MacCarthy and the Clan MacKerlie. These clans were prominent in the Scottish Highlands and played significant roles in various historical events and conflicts.

Notable individuals with the surname MCCARY include:

1. Sir Cormac MacCarthy (1459-1494), an Irish lord and military leader who fought against the English during the Anglo-Irish Wars.
2. Donal MacCarthy (1594-1665), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Catholic Confederacy during the Irish Confederate Wars.
3. Florence MacCarthy Reagh (1565-1640), an Irish chieftain and leader of the MacCarthy Reagh clan in County Cork.
4. Justin MacCarthy (1792-1881), an Irish novelist and biographer known for his works on historical figures like Shelley and Byron.
5. Sir Denis MacCarthy (1833-1925), an Irish-born Australian politician and landowner who served as the Premier of New South Wales.

The surname MCCARY has also been associated with various place names, such as Carrignavar (formerly Carraig an Bhair) in County Cork, Ireland, which translates to "the rock of the summit." This may suggest that some branches of the MCCARY family derived their name from geographic locations.

Over time, the spelling of the surname has evolved, with variations like MacCarthy, McCarthy, McCarthie, and McCary emerging in different regions and historical contexts. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Irish and Scottish traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCary

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

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

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

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