2000
#4,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,433
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.76
Rare Last name
Mccurry
A Scottish or Irish occupational surname referring to a currach or coracle maker, derived from Mac Mhuirich or Mac Giolla Mhuire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,986 Americans carry the last name Mccurry. That puts it at #4,913 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccurry 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 Mccurry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.0K
1 in 42,919
Census rank
#4,913
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,964 bearers of the surname Mccurry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4913th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccurry, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccurry
The surname McCurry is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Chuartair or Mac Cuartair, which means "son of the courtier" or "son of the quarrier." This name traces its roots back to the medieval period in Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where a Gillecrist MacCurry is mentioned. The name appears in various spellings, including McCurrie, McCurry, and McCurrie, reflecting the regional variations and the transition from Gaelic to English.
The McCurry name is particularly prevalent in the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, where many individuals bearing this surname can be found in historical records. One notable example is Sir John McCurry, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McCurry family played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation, with several members being prominent figures in the Presbyterian Church. Reverend James McCurry (1588-1662) was a renowned minister and author who wrote extensively on religious matters.
In the 18th century, the name spread beyond Scotland as many McCurrys emigrated to Ireland and later to North America. One notable figure from this period is James McCurry (1734-1808), an Irish-born American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Another prominent individual with the McCurry surname is William McCurry (1811-1890), an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio in the mid-19th century.
The McCurry name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McCurry's Hill in Ayrshire and McCurry's Bridge in Lanarkshire, further highlighting the historical significance and geographic distribution of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccurry
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccurry, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccurry 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 Mccurry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 5,804
- Black or African American8.9% · 621
- Two or more races3.9% · 272
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 192
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccurry
Mccurry 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
#4,673
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,590
+157 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.57
Rank movement Down 261 places
2020
#4,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,964
-626 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,412 | 7,433 | 2.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,673 | 7,590 | 2.57 | +157 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 261 places |
| 2020 | #4,913 | 6,964 | 2.33 | -626 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 240 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 Mccurry 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 | #4,673 | #4,913 | -5.1% |
| Count | 7,590 | 6,964 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.57 | 2.33 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccurry bearers went from 7,590 to 6,964 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 240 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,673 to #4,913.
FAQ
Mccurry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccurry?
Name Census estimates that about 7,986 living Americans carry the surname Mccurry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,919 residents.
How common is Mccurry?
Mccurry ranks #4,913 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,964 people with the surname Mccurry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,986), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mccurry.
Has Mccurry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccurry went from 7,590 recorded bearers to 6,964. That is a decrease of 626 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,673 to #4,913.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccurry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccurry, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mccurry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (5,804 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccurry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Black (8.9%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mccurry (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 Mccurry mean?
A Scottish or Irish occupational surname referring to a currach or coracle maker, derived from Mac Mhuirich or Mac Giolla Mhuire. 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 Mccurry (2.33 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 Mccurry?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Mccurry on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.