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

McConnaughey, 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 McConnaughey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McConnaughey in America

McConnaughey is the 25459th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McConnaughey surname appeared 971 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McConnaughey.

We can also compare 2010 data for McConnaughey 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 McConnaughey

The surname McConnaughey is of Irish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in County Donegal, located in the northern part of Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Connachtach" meaning "Connachtman" or "descendant of the Connachta."

The Connachta were an ancient Irish dynasty that ruled over the province of Connacht, which encompasses parts of western and northwestern Ireland. The name McConnaughey, therefore, indicates a familial connection or descent from this influential royal lineage.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention several individuals with variations of the surname, such as MacConnaghty and MacConnaught, indicating the name's widespread use in that era.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in the Irish Fiants, a collection of official documents and records from the Irish Chancery. These records provide valuable insights into the historical distribution and prominence of the McConnaughey name across various parts of Ireland.

Notable individuals bearing the McConnaughey surname include:

1. Thomas McConnaughey (1776-1847), an Irish-born American soldier and politician who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives.
2. James McConnaughey (1832-1910), an American businessman and industrialist who founded the McConnaughey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
3. Mary McConnaughey (1865-1949), an American educator and writer who authored several books on educational methods and child development.
4. William McConnaughey (1867-1953), an Irish-American clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
5. John McConnaughey (1892-1967), an American lawyer and judge who served as a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

While the McConnaughey name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread globally, with descendants settling in various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McConnaughey

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

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

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

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