2000
#2,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,782
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.37
Uncommon Last name
Mccrary
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the hollow of the river Cree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,213 Americans carry the last name Mccrary. That puts it at #3,044 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccrary 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
13K
1 in 25,941
Census rank
#3,044
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,522 bearers of the surname Mccrary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3044th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrary, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccrary
The surname McCrary originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "MacRath," which means "son of Grace" or "son of good fortune." This name was popular among the clans of the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCrary name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Among the names listed is "Gillecrist MacRath," a variant spelling of the surname.
In the 16th century, the McCrary name appeared in various Scottish records and charters. A notable figure from this era was John McCrary, a prominent merchant and landowner born in Inveraray, Argyll, around 1530. He played a significant role in the economic development of the region and was known for his philanthropic efforts.
During the 17th century, many McCrarys were involved in the Scottish Covenanter movement, which sought to preserve the Presbyterian faith in Scotland. One such individual was Robert McCrary, born in Kilmarnock in 1620, who was a minister and active participant in the Covenanter rebellions against the English crown.
In the late 18th century, the McCrary name began to spread beyond Scotland as a result of the Scottish diaspora. One notable figure from this period was James McCrary, born in Ayr in 1765, who emigrated to North America and became a successful businessman and landowner in Virginia.
Another notable McCrary was Elizabeth McCrary, born in Edinburgh in 1820. She was a pioneering educator and writer who advocated for women's rights and educational opportunities. Her works, including "Essays on the Education of Women," were influential in shaping the discourse on women's issues in the 19th century.
As the McCrary name spread throughout the English-speaking world, it underwent various spelling variations, including McCrarey, McCrairie, and McCraren. However, the original Scottish spelling of McCrary remains the most widespread and recognized form.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccrary
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrary, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccrary 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 Mccrary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.8% · 7,125
- Black or African American29.3% · 3,375
- Two or more races4.5% · 522
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 396
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccrary
Mccrary 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
#2,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,204
+422 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 4.14
Rank movement Down 138 places
2020
#3,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,522
-682 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 3.85
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,799 | 11,782 | 4.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,937 | 12,204 | 4.14 | +422 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 138 places |
| 2020 | #3,044 | 11,522 | 3.85 | -682 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 107 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 Mccrary 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 | #2,937 | #3,044 | -3.6% |
| Count | 12,204 | 11,522 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.14 | 3.85 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccrary bearers went from 12,204 to 11,522 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,937 to #3,044.
FAQ
Mccrary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccrary?
Name Census estimates that about 13,213 living Americans carry the surname Mccrary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,941 residents.
How common is Mccrary?
Mccrary ranks #3,044 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,522 people with the surname Mccrary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,213), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Mccrary.
Has Mccrary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccrary went from 12,204 recorded bearers to 11,522. That is a decrease of 682 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,937 to #3,044.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccrary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrary, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.8%. The next largest groups are Black (29.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Mccrary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.8% (7,125 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccrary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.8%), Black (29.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Mccrary (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 Mccrary mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the hollow of the river Cree." 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 Mccrary (3.85 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 common is the surname Mccrary?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Mccrary is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.