2000
#5,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,402
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.00
Rare Last name
Mccraw
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the pass of blood" in Gaelic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,048 Americans carry the last name Mccraw. That puts it at #6,220 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,672 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccraw 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mccraw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 56,672
Census rank
#6,220
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,274 bearers of the surname Mccraw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6220th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccraw, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccraw
The surname McCraw is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Cràthadh, which means "son of the trembler" or "son of the shaker." The name can be traced back to the 12th century in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.
One of the earliest known records of the name McCraw appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges made to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Maccratha" in this document.
In the 15th century, the McCraw clan was prominent in the Outer Hebrides, particularly on the Isle of Lewis. Historical records from that time mention a Donald McCraw, who was a notable chieftain and warrior in the region.
The name McCraw has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Crawick in Dumfriesshire and Craufurd in Ayrshire. These place names are believed to have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.
Notable individuals with the surname McCraw throughout history include:
1. Sir James McCraw (1628-1694), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served as the Governor of Jamaica from 1685 to 1692.
2. John McCraw (1750-1810), a Scottish-American surveyor and explorer who played a significant role in mapping the western territories of the United States.
3. Eliza McCraw (1822-1897), an Australian educator and women's rights advocate who established several schools in the colony of Victoria.
4. Robert McCraw (1876-1942), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the McCraw Foundation in New York City.
5. Mary McCraw (1914-2008), a renowned Scottish artist known for her landscape paintings and portraits, many of which are housed in galleries across the United Kingdom.
The surname McCraw has endured for centuries, carrying the rich history and cultural heritage of its Scottish roots. While its spelling and pronunciation may have evolved over time, the name continues to be a testament to the resilience and legacy of the McCraw clan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccraw
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccraw, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccraw 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 Mccraw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1% · 4,170
- Black or African American12.2% · 646
- Two or more races4.6% · 243
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccraw
Mccraw 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
#6,156
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,561
+159 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Down 286 places
2020
#6,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,274
-287 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Down 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,870 | 5,402 | 2.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,156 | 5,561 | 1.89 | +159 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 286 places |
| 2020 | #6,220 | 5,274 | 1.76 | -287 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 64 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 Mccraw 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 | #6,156 | #6,220 | -1.0% |
| Count | 5,561 | 5,274 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.89 | 1.76 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccraw bearers went from 5,561 to 5,274 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,156 to #6,220.
FAQ
Mccraw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccraw?
Name Census estimates that about 6,048 living Americans carry the surname Mccraw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,672 residents.
How common is Mccraw?
Mccraw ranks #6,220 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,274 people with the surname Mccraw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,048), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mccraw.
Has Mccraw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccraw went from 5,561 recorded bearers to 5,274. That is a decrease of 287 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,156 to #6,220.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccraw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccraw, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mccraw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (4,170 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccraw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.1%), Black (12.2%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mccraw (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 Mccraw mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the pass of blood" in Gaelic. 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 Mccraw (1.76 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 are called Mccraw?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Mccraw on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.