2000
#62,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 301
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Mccrery
An anglicized form of the Gaelic surname MacRuairidh, meaning "son of the red King".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 362 Americans carry the last name Mccrery. That puts it at #67,362 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 946,835 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccrery 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
362
1 in 946,835
Census rank
#67,362
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
316
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 316 bearers of the surname Mccrery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67362nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrery, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccrery
The surname McCrery is of Scottish origin, with its roots traced back to the Gaelic language and the ancient region of Galloway in southwestern Scotland. The name is believed to have emerged in the 13th or 14th century, derived from the Gaelic phrase "mac rìgh," which translates to "son of the king" or "son of a leader."
In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared with various spellings, such as MacRery, MacRery, and MacCrery, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions in those times. The surname's connection to royalty or chieftainship suggests that its earliest bearers may have been descendants of influential figures in the Galloway region or those who held positions of authority within their clans or communities.
One of the earliest known references to the surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of recorded acts of homage to King Edward I of England. The rolls mention a person named John MacRery, who swore fealty to the English monarch during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Over the centuries, the McCrery surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure is Sir John McCrery, a Scottish nobleman born in the late 15th century, who served as a trusted advisor to King James IV of Scotland. Another prominent bearer of the name was Robert McCrery, born in 1687, who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, from 1744 to 1746.
In the realm of literature, the name McCrery is associated with the Scottish poet and novelist John McCrery, born in 1824. His works, including "The Ballad of Dunbar" and "The Crimson Rose," explored themes of Scottish history, culture, and folklore.
The surname has also been carried by notable figures beyond Scotland's borders. One such individual is William McCrery, an Irish-born architect born in 1804, who designed several notable buildings in Dublin, including the Museum Building at Trinity College.
Another prominent bearer of the McCrery name was James McCrery, born in 1826 in County Tyrone, Ireland. He emigrated to the United States and became a successful businessman, establishing the renowned McCrery's department store chain in New York City in the late 19th century.
While the McCrery surname continues to be found in various parts of the world today, its origins can be traced back to the historical regions of Scotland, where it once held associations with leadership, authority, and cultural significance within the clans and communities of ancient Galloway.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccrery
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrery, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccrery 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 Mccrery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 272
- Two or more races5.7% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 7
- Black or African American1.6% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccrery
Mccrery 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
#57,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 357
+56 bearers (+18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 5,135 places
2020
#67,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 316
-41 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 10,261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,236 | 301 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,101 | 357 | 0.12 | +56 bearers (+18.6%) | Up 5,135 places |
| 2020 | #67,362 | 316 | 0.11 | -41 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 10,261 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 Mccrery 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 | #57,101 | #67,362 | -18.0% |
| Count | 357 | 316 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.11 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccrery bearers went from 357 to 316 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 10,261 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,101 to #67,362.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mccrery
FAQ
Mccrery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccrery?
Name Census estimates that about 362 living Americans carry the surname Mccrery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 946,835 residents.
How common is Mccrery?
Mccrery ranks #67,362 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 316 people with the surname Mccrery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (362), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Mccrery.
Has Mccrery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccrery went from 357 recorded bearers to 316. That is a decrease of 41 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #57,101 to #67,362.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccrery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccrery, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.7%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Mccrery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (272 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccrery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Two or More Races (5.7%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Mccrery (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 Mccrery mean?
An anglicized form of the Gaelic surname MacRuairidh, meaning "son of the red King". 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 Mccrery (0.11 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 Mccrery?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Mccrery on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.