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

McCaw, 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 McCaw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCaw in America

McCaw is the 12676th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCaw surname appeared 2,438 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 McCaw.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCaw 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 McCaw

The surname McCaw is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic surname MacCath, meaning "son of the warrior" or "son of the battle." The name is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland during the Middle Ages, where it was likely used to identify individuals who were skilled in battle or had a reputation for their martial prowess.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries, appearing in various historical records and documents from that era. One notable early mention is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded individuals who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Among the names listed is Gillebride MacCath, an early variant spelling of the name.

Over time, the name underwent several spelling variations, including MacCaw, McCawe, and McCaw, the latter of which became the most commonly accepted form in modern times. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides, where many bearers of the name resided.

In the 16th century, the McCaw name gained prominence with the rise of Clan Chattan, a powerful Scottish clan that traced its roots to the Highlands. One notable member of this clan was Ewen McCaw (c. 1550-1628), a renowned warrior and chief of the McCaw branch of Clan Chattan.

Another notable figure from history bearing the McCaw surname was Sir James McCaw (1685-1762), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1742 to 1744. He played a significant role in the city's governance and development during his tenure.

In the 19th century, William McCaw (1818-1886), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician, became a prominent figure in Ontario. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and served as a member of parliament from 1867 to 1875.

Moving into the 20th century, Walter McCaw (1905-1992) was a renowned American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the McCaw Cellular Communications company, which later became part of AT&T Wireless Services. His contributions to the telecommunications industry and his philanthropic efforts made him a prominent figure in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Another notable figure was John McCaw (1919-2003), a Scottish-born American football player and coach. He played as a defensive back for the Chicago Bears and later served as a coach for various college and professional teams, including the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCaw

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

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

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

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