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

McCray, 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 McCray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCray in America

McCray is the 1252nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCray surname appeared 28,024 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname McCray.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCray 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 McCray

The surname McCray has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic surname MacRae, which means "son of grace" or "son of prosperity." The name is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Ross-shire and Inverness-shire.

The earliest recorded instances of the McCray surname can be found in historical records from the late 16th and early 17th centuries. One of the earliest known references is in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, where a certain John McCray is mentioned in 1592. The name also appears in various parish records and court documents from that period.

In the 17th century, the McCray surname was found in various parts of Scotland, including the Isle of Skye and the counties of Sutherland and Caithness. One notable bearer of the name was Donald McCray, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He was captured at the Battle of Culloden and later pardoned.

As the name spread beyond Scotland, it underwent various spelling variations, including McCray, McCrea, and McCree. One of the earliest known bearers of the name in England was John McCray, who was born in Northumberland in 1675.

Among the notable individuals with the surname McCray throughout history are:

1. James McCray (1753-1826), a Scottish-born farmer and pioneer who settled in Virginia in the late 18th century.
2. William McCray (1819-1889), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Congressman from South Carolina.
3. John McCray (1856-1922), an English-born artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
4. Nellie McCray (1870-1938), an American vaudeville performer and actress who appeared in several Broadway productions.
5. Robert McCray (1904-1988), an American academic and educator who served as the president of Tuskegee University from 1953 to 1969.

While the surname McCray may have evolved from its Scottish roots, it has since spread across various parts of the world, with bearers of the name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCray

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McCray, please contact us.

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