2000
#14,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,880
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Mccraney
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ráthnaigh," meaning "son of Ráthnaigh" (a personal name of unknown meaning).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,096 Americans carry the last name Mccraney. That puts it at #15,443 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,528 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccraney surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,528
Census rank
#15,443
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,828 bearers of the surname Mccraney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15443rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccraney, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccraney
The surname McCraney is of Scottish origin, originating in the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic Mac Raghnaill, meaning "son of Raghnaill" or "son of Randal". The name Randal itself is an anglicized form of the Old Norse name Rögnvaldr, meaning "counsel-ruler".
The McCraney surname is closely associated with the clan MacRanald, a powerful Scottish clan based in the Hebrides Islands and the Western Highlands of Scotland. The clan's origins can be traced back to the 13th century, when they were known as the Lords of the Isles and held significant power and influence in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCraney surname is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1436, where a certain "Duncan M'Cranny" is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that time period.
In the 16th century, the McCraney surname appears in several historical records related to the clan MacRanald's involvement in various battles and conflicts. One notable example is Donald McCraney, who fought alongside the clan in the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the McCraney surname began to spread beyond the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides Islands. John McCraney (1640-1712), a Scottish merchant and trader, was among the first to establish a presence in the American colonies, settling in Virginia.
In the 19th century, several individuals with the McCraney surname gained prominence in various fields. Robert McCraney (1810-1879) was a Scottish physician and author, known for his work on medical jurisprudence. William McCraney (1832-1914) was an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas.
Another notable figure is Margaret McCraney (1858-1934), an American author and educator who founded the Mississippi Normal College, one of the first institutions dedicated to the education of African American women in the South.
As the name spread across the globe, it took on various spellings and variations, such as McCrany, McCranie, and McCrannie, reflecting the regional and cultural influences of different locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccraney
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccraney, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccraney bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mccraney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.9% · 931
- Black or African American40.9% · 747
- Two or more races5.6% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccraney
Mccraney appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,015
+135 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 209 places
2020
#15,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,828
-187 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,539 | 1,880 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,748 | 2,015 | 0.68 | +135 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 209 places |
| 2020 | #15,443 | 1,828 | 0.61 | -187 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 695 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mccraney surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,748 | #15,443 | -4.7% |
| Count | 2,015 | 1,828 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.61 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccraney bearers went from 2,015 to 1,828 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 695 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,748 to #15,443.
FAQ
Mccraney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccraney?
Name Census estimates that about 2,096 living Americans carry the surname Mccraney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,528 residents.
How common is Mccraney?
Mccraney ranks #15,443 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,828 people with the surname Mccraney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,096), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mccraney.
Has Mccraney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccraney went from 2,015 recorded bearers to 1,828. That is a decrease of 187 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,748 to #15,443.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccraney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccraney, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (40.9%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mccraney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.9% (931 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccraney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.9%), Black (40.9%), Two or More Races (5.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mccraney (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mccraney mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ráthnaigh," meaning "son of Ráthnaigh" (a personal name of unknown meaning). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mccraney (0.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Mccraney?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.