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

McCord, 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 McCord surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCord in America

McCord is the 2019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCord surname appeared 17,875 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname McCord.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCord 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 McCord

The surname McCord has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "cuaird" meaning "circle" or "round." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a circular enclosure or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Here, the name appears as "Makcord." Later records from the 16th century show variations such as "Makkord" and "Makcoird."

The McCord name is also associated with several Scottish place names, including McCord's Burn in Ayrshire and McCord's Hill in Lanarkshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname McCord who lived or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname McCord include:

1. James McCord (c. 1719-1793), a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and educator who served as the first President of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) from 1768 to 1778.

2. James Walter McCord (1845-1930), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 26th Governor of Washington Territory from 1893 to 1897.

3. David McCord (1897-1997), an American poet and teacher who won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1956 for his collection "Explorers and Homecomers."

4. Louisa Susannah Cheves McCord (1810-1879), an American novelist and political essayist who was a prominent advocate for slavery and states' rights in the antebellum South.

5. James McCord (1924-2017), an American former CIA officer and Watergate burglar whose testimony helped unravel the Watergate scandal and ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.

Throughout its history, the McCord surname has been carried by a diverse range of individuals, from educators and politicians to writers and historical figures, reflecting the rich tapestry of the Scottish diaspora and its enduring influence on various aspects of society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCord

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

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

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

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