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

McCroskey, 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 McCroskey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McCroskey in America

McCroskey is the 13338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McCroskey surname appeared 2,286 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McCroskey.

We can also compare 2010 data for McCroskey 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 McCroskey

The surname McCroskey is of Scottish origin, derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Crosg" or "Cros" meaning "cross." It is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century, during the time of the Crusades.

The name likely refers to someone who lived near a prominent cross or crossroads, or who may have been a bearer of the Cross during religious processions or ceremonies. It is also possible that the name could have been bestowed upon a devout Christian pilgrim who had visited the Holy Land or other sacred sites.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname McCroskey can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage and fealty to King Edward I of England. This document lists a "John McCrosky" among the Scottish landowners and nobility who pledged allegiance to the English crown.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McCroskey surname was concentrated in the counties of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire in the west of Scotland. Several variations of the spelling existed, including McCroskey, McCroskie, and McCroskrie.

Notable individuals with the McCroskey surname throughout history include:

1. James McCroskey (1734-1811), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later settled in Tennessee.
2. John McCroskey (1807-1887), a Scottish-born American pioneer and surveyor who helped establish the city of Des Moines, Iowa.
3. Virginia McCroskey (1886-1976), an American actress and vaudeville performer known for her work in silent films.
4. Patrick McCroskey (1928-2001), an Irish-American lawyer and judge who served on the New York State Supreme Court.
5. Ralph McCroskey (1943-2020), an American basketball player and coach who played in the NBA for the Cincinnati Royals and later coached at the collegiate level.

While the McCroskey surname is not as widespread as some other Scottish names, it has left an indelible mark on various aspects of history, from military service and exploration to the arts and legal profession.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McCroskey

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

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

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

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