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

McCluskey, 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 McCluskey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCluskey in America

McCluskey is the 5518th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCluskey surname appeared 6,301 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McCluskey.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCluskey 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 McCluskey

The surname McCluskey has its origins in Ireland and dates back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Mac Lochlainn," which means "son of the Norwegian." This suggests that the name may have originally belonged to someone of Norse or Viking descent who settled in Ireland.

The earliest recorded use of the name McCluskey can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, there are references to a chieftain named Muircheartach Mac Lochlainn, who ruled the Kingdom of Ailech in the late 11th and early 12th centuries.

As the name spread throughout Ireland, it underwent various spelling changes and variations. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include McClushey, McCluskye, and McCluskay. These variations reflect the phonetic differences in how the name was pronounced in different regions.

One notable bearer of the McCluskey name was Sir John McCluskey (c. 1480-1550), an Irish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Nine Years' War against the English. He was awarded lands in County Down for his loyalty to the Crown.

Another significant figure was Patrick McCluskey (1692-1770), an Irish priest and author who was exiled from Ireland during the Penal Laws. He wrote extensively on the persecution of Catholics in Ireland and became a vocal advocate for religious tolerance.

In the 18th century, the McCluskey name gained prominence in Scotland, particularly in the Glasgow area. One notable Scotsman was John McCluskey (1766-1842), a successful merchant and philanthropist who helped establish several schools and charities in the city.

During the 19th century, many McCluskeys emigrated from Ireland and Scotland to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. One such emigrant was William McCluskey (1811-1889), an Irish-born businessman who became a prominent figure in the early development of Melbourne, Australia.

Throughout history, the McCluskey name has been associated with various professions and achievements, from military service and religious leadership to business and philanthropy. While the name has evolved over centuries, its roots can be traced back to the Viking settlers who intermingled with the Irish population in the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCluskey

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

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

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

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