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

McCrea, 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 McCrea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCrea in America

McCrea is the 5504th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCrea surname appeared 6,320 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McCrea.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCrea 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 McCrea

The surname McCrea is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son of' and 'cruidh' meaning 'cattle' or 'herd'. It was initially used as a descriptive name for someone who worked as a cattle herder or was associated with cattle farming.

The McCrea surname is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the areas around Argyll and the Hebrides Islands. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th century, with variations in spelling such as McCrea, McCray, and McCree.

One of the earliest known references to the McCrea name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "William McCrea" is listed among the names from the county of Ayr.

In the 17th century, the McCrea family played a prominent role in the Scottish Covenanter movement, which sought to preserve the Presbyterian form of church government in Scotland. John McCrea (1590-1670) was a well-known Covenanter minister and author who was imprisoned for his beliefs.

One of the most famous individuals bearing the McCrea surname was Jane McCrea (1752-1777), a loyalist living in New York during the American Revolutionary War. Her tragic death at the hands of Native American allies of the British became a rallying cry for the American cause.

Other notable McCreas throughout history include:

1. William McCrea (1809-1883), an Irish Presbyterian minister and a leader of the evangelical movement in Ulster.
2. Thomas McCrea (1808-1892), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and judge who served as the fourth Premier of Nova Scotia.
3. Jane McCrea (1909-2002), an American actress and singer who appeared in numerous Broadway musicals and films.
4. John McCrea (1935-2011), a Canadian singer-songwriter and co-founder of the folk group The Travellers.
5. Robert McCrea (1853-1926), a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco).

The McCrea surname has been associated with various place names, including McCrea Brook in Nova Scotia and McCrea Village in Ontario, Canada, further highlighting the family's historical presence in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCrea

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

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

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

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