2000
#11,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,558
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Mccurley
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Thoirdealbhaigh, meaning "son of Toirdhealbhach," a personal name meaning "instigator" or "troublemaker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,829 Americans carry the last name Mccurley. That puts it at #12,070 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,157 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccurley 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mccurley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 121,157
Census rank
#12,070
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,467 bearers of the surname Mccurley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12070th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccurley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccurley
The surname McCurley is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic Mac Cuaraidh, meaning "son of the champion" or "son of the brave warrior." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon a family with a distinguished military background or a renowned warrior ancestor.
The earliest known recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 15th century in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. Historical records from that era often featured variations in spelling, such as McCurly, McCurlie, and McCurley, reflecting the phonetic nature of the name's transcription.
One of the earliest documented references to the McCurley name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the year 1456, where a certain John McCurly is mentioned in connection with a land transaction in the town of Kilwinning, Ayrshire. This provides evidence of the name's existence and geographical distribution during that period.
In the 16th century, the McCurley surname appears to have spread to other parts of Scotland, including the Scottish Borders and the Highlands. One notable individual bearing this name was Robert McCurley, a prominent Presbyterian minister born in 1644 in the parish of Kirkcudbright. He played a significant role in the religious and political affairs of his time, serving as a chaplain to the Earl of Argyll during the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.
Another noteworthy figure was James McCurley (1701-1779), a Scottish merchant and landowner from Renfrewshire. He acquired substantial wealth through his trading endeavors and invested in properties across various regions of Scotland, leaving a lasting impact on the local economy and infrastructure.
In the late 18th century, the McCurley name found its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of William McCurley, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1775 and later served as a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout the 19th century, several individuals bearing the McCurley surname made significant contributions in various fields. Among them was John McCurley (1802-1879), an Irish-born American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate and played a pivotal role in shaping the state's legal system.
While the surname McCurley has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by generations of emigrants and travelers. The name's enduring presence serves as a testament to its rich historical significance and the resilience of its bearers across the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccurley
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccurley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccurley 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 Mccurley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 2,167
- Two or more races4.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 87
- Black or African American2.6% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccurley
Mccurley 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
#11,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,665
+107 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 424 places
2020
#12,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,467
-198 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,329 | 2,558 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,753 | 2,665 | 0.90 | +107 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 424 places |
| 2020 | #12,070 | 2,467 | 0.83 | -198 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 317 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 Mccurley 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 | #11,753 | #12,070 | -2.7% |
| Count | 2,665 | 2,467 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.83 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccurley bearers went from 2,665 to 2,467 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 317 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,753 to #12,070.
FAQ
Mccurley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccurley?
Name Census estimates that about 2,829 living Americans carry the surname Mccurley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,157 residents.
How common is Mccurley?
Mccurley ranks #12,070 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,467 people with the surname Mccurley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,829), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Mccurley.
Has Mccurley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccurley went from 2,665 recorded bearers to 2,467. That is a decrease of 198 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,753 to #12,070.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccurley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccurley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Mccurley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (2,167 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccurley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Mccurley (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 Mccurley mean?
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Thoirdealbhaigh, meaning "son of Toirdhealbhach," a personal name meaning "instigator" or "troublemaker." 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 Mccurley (0.83 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 share the surname Mccurley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.