2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mccrave
A variant of the surname McCrae, originally a habitational name from places in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Mccrave. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccrave 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Mccrave in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrave, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccrave
The surname McCrave finds its origins in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old Scots Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "crave", which could refer to a person's occupation or physical characteristics.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, where a John McCrave was mentioned in 1587. The name also appeared in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
In the 17th century, the McCrave surname was particularly prominent in the regions of Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire. A notable individual from this era was Robert McCrave, born in 1632, who served as a minister in the Church of Scotland and was known for his strong Presbyterian beliefs.
As the centuries passed, the name underwent several spelling variations, including McCrawe, McCraiw, and McCraigh. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual record keepers.
One notable bearer of the McCrave surname was James McCrave, born in 1785 in Glasgow. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist, contributing significantly to the establishment of several charitable organizations in the city.
Another influential figure was Margaret McCrave, born in 1844 in Paisley. She was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, establishing one of the first schools for girls in Scotland.
Other notable McCraves throughout history include David McCrave (1812-1891), a Scottish-American engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several major railroads in the United States, and William McCrave (1867-1938), a renowned Scottish novelist and poet whose works explored themes of identity and national pride.
While the name McCrave may not be as widespread as some other Scottish surnames, it holds a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of Scotland, with bearers making significant contributions across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccrave
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrave, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccrave 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 Mccrave surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccrave
Mccrave appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 5,461 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 Mccrave 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 | #154,907 | #149,446 | 3.5% |
| Count | 105 | 110 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccrave bearers went from 105 to 110 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #149,446.
FAQ
Mccrave surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccrave?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Mccrave. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Mccrave?
Mccrave ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Mccrave. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mccrave.
Has Mccrave become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccrave went from 105 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccrave?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrave, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Mccrave in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccrave appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Mccrave (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 Mccrave mean?
A variant of the surname McCrae, originally a habitational name from places in Scotland. 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 Mccrave (0.04 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 have the last name Mccrave?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Mccrave at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.