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

McCrae, 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 McCrae surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCrae in America

McCrae is the 11436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCrae surname appeared 2,754 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 McCrae.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCrae 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 McCrae

The surname McCrae is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic name MacRath or MacCraith, which means "son of Grace" or "son of Wrath". It is believed to have first appeared in the Scottish Highlands during the 12th or 13th century.

The name McCrae can be traced back to the ancient Scottish clan system, where clans were organized around a common ancestor. The MacRath or MacCraith clan was likely centered in the western Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McCrae can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage letters written to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, a "Gillemichel M'Crath" from the county of Dunbarton is mentioned, indicating the presence of the name in Scotland during the late 13th century.

Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as McCrae, McCray, and McCrea emerging. These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and the interpretation of the name by record-keepers.

Notable individuals with the surname McCrae include Sir Thomas McCrae (1870-1935), a Canadian physician and professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, and John McCrae (1872-1918), a Canadian poet and physician who wrote the famous poem "In Flanders Fields" during World War I.

Another prominent figure was Robert McCrae (1808-1887), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and pastoralist who played a significant role in the early settlement of Victoria, Australia. Additionally, George Gordon McCrae (1833-1927), a Scottish-born Australian author and pioneer, is remembered for his literary works depicting life in early colonial Victoria.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name McCrae is found in the records of James McCrae, who was born in Scotland in 1687 and later emigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 18th century.

While the origins of the surname McCrae can be traced back to Scotland, its bearers have made significant contributions across various fields throughout history, including medicine, literature, exploration, and more, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscapes of several nations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCrae

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McCrae, 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!