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

McClay, 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 McClay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McClay in America

McClay is the 13707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McClay surname appeared 2,208 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 McClay.

We can also compare 2010 data for McClay 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 McClay

The surname McClay is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic surname "MacClaidh," which means "son of the bald one" or "son of the tonsured one." This suggests that the name may have been given to the son of a monk or clergy member who had a shaved or tonsured head.

The McClay name is most commonly associated with the Scottish Highlands and Islands, particularly in areas such as Argyll, where the name was first recorded. Early records show variations in spelling, including MacCloy, MacCloy, and McCloy, reflecting the phonetic transcription of the Gaelic name.

One of the earliest documented references to the McClay name can be found in the "Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland" from the late 16th century, which mentions a "John McClay" receiving a land grant in Argyll. Another notable early reference is in the "Records of the Presbytery of Lanark" from the mid-17th century, which mentions a "Robert McClay" serving as a minister in the region.

Among the notable individuals with the McClay surname throughout history are:

1. Sir Robert McClay (1654-1721), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the early 18th century.
2. John McClay (1732-1799), a Scottish-born American farmer and soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
3. William McClay (1804-1879), a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
4. Rev. Andrew McClay (1815-1892), a Scottish minister and author who wrote extensively on religious and theological topics.
5. Thomas McClay (1855-1933), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the McClay Foundation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The McClay surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McClayholm in Dumfries and Galloway, and McClay's Hill in Argyll and Bute, further cementing its connection to the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McClay

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

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

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

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