McClurg last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of McClurg

A Scottish and Irish occupational surname referring to a clerk or cleric.

McClurg, 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 McClurg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McClurg in America

McClurg is the 9778th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McClurg surname appeared 3,314 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 McClurg.

We can also compare 2010 data for McClurg 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 9778 9353 4.44%
Count 3,314 3,197 3.59%
Proportion per 100k 1.12 1.19 -6.06%

The history of the last name McClurg

The surname McClurg is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic name "Mac Lughrig," which translates to "son of the pilgrim" or "son of the wanderer."

The name first emerged in the regions of Galloway and Ayrshire, where it was closely associated with the powerful McClurg clan. The earliest recorded mention of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in various Scottish charters and legal documents.

One notable historical reference to the McClurg name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish nobility who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Several individuals bearing the McClurg surname are listed in this document, indicating their prominence during that era.

In the 15th century, the McClurg family established themselves as influential landowners in the parish of Dailly, Ayrshire. Sir Robert McClurg (1452-1521), a prominent member of the clan, served as the Laird of Dailly and played a crucial role in local politics and governance.

Over the centuries, the McClurg name has undergone various spelling variations, including McClerg, McClerge, and McClarg, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times. These variations often corresponded to different regions or branches of the family.

Among the notable individuals bearing the McClurg surname throughout history are:

  1. John McClurg (1693-1748), a Scottish-born Presbyterian minister who played a significant role in the establishment of religious education in the American colonies.

  2. James McClurg (1746-1823), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Kentucky.

  3. Joseph McClurg (1722-1793), a Scottish-born publisher and bookseller who established one of the first publishing houses in Virginia.

  4. Sir Robert McClurg (1452-1521), the aforementioned Laird of Dailly, who was a prominent figure in 15th-century Scottish politics.

  5. William McClurg (1773-1846), an American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

While the McClurg surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration and the expansion of the British Empire. Despite its wide dispersion, the name remains a proud testament to its Scottish heritage and the rich history of the McClurg clan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McClurg

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

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 McClurg was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.09% 3,118
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.63% 21
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.54% 18
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.88% 29
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.51% 50
Hispanic Origin 2.35% 78

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 McClurg has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.09% 94.84% -0.79%
Black 0.63% 0.59% 6.56%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.54% 0.31% 54.12%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.88% 0.56% 44.44%
Two or More Races 1.51% 1.60% -5.79%
Hispanic 2.35% 2.10% 11.24%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"McClurg last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mcclurg-surname-popularity/.

"McClurg last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mcclurg-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

McClurg last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/mcclurg-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.