2000
#12,450
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,287
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.85
Rare Last name
Mccroskey
A Scottish occupational surname referring to a person who made and repaired crosses or crucifixes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,566 Americans carry the last name Mccroskey. That puts it at #13,103 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,575 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccroskey 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
2.6K
1 in 133,575
Census rank
#13,103
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,238 bearers of the surname Mccroskey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13103rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccroskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccroskey
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccroskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccroskey 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 Mccroskey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 1,863
- Black or African American9.2% · 205
- Two or more races4.7% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccroskey
Mccroskey 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
#13,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,286
-1 bearers (-0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 888 places
2020
#13,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,238
-48 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 235 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,450 | 2,287 | 0.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,338 | 2,286 | 0.77 | -1 bearers (-0.0%) | Down 888 places |
| 2020 | #13,103 | 2,238 | 0.75 | -48 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 235 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 Mccroskey 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 | #13,338 | #13,103 | 1.8% |
| Count | 2,286 | 2,238 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.75 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccroskey bearers went from 2,286 to 2,238 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 235 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,338 to #13,103.
FAQ
Mccroskey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccroskey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,566 living Americans carry the surname Mccroskey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,575 residents.
How common is Mccroskey?
Mccroskey ranks #13,103 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,238 people with the surname Mccroskey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,566), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mccroskey.
Has Mccroskey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccroskey went from 2,286 recorded bearers to 2,238. That is a decrease of 48 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,338 to #13,103.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccroskey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccroskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Mccroskey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (1,863 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccroskey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Black (9.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Mccroskey (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 Mccroskey mean?
A Scottish occupational surname referring to a person who made and repaired crosses or crucifixes. 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 Mccroskey (0.75 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 have the surname Mccroskey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.