2000
#8,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,398
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Mccusker
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Oscair," meaning "son of Oscar" or "descendant of Oscar."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,914 Americans carry the last name Mccusker. That puts it at #9,178 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,571 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccusker 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 Mccusker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,571
Census rank
#9,178
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,413 bearers of the surname Mccusker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9178th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccusker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccusker
The surname McCusker has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Oisdeir, which means "son of the hospitable one." This suggests that the name may have originated from an ancestor who was known for their hospitality and generosity.
The McCusker name was prominent in counties such as Antrim, Armagh, and Down in Ulster, Ireland. It is believed that the name may have originated in the area around Cusher, a townland in County Armagh. The earliest known spelling variation of the name was "MacCusker," which was recorded in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 1500s.
One of the earliest recorded references to the McCusker name can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663-1665, which were tax records compiled during the reign of King Charles II. These rolls list several McCusker families living in various parts of Ulster.
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the McCusker surname was Patrick McCusker (1702-1783), a Catholic priest and scholar from County Armagh. He was renowned for his knowledge of Greek and Latin and served as a tutor to several prominent families in Ireland.
Another significant individual was John McCusker (1766-1836), a successful merchant and ship owner from Belfast. He played a crucial role in the city's maritime trade and was involved in the establishment of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce.
During the 19th century, James McCusker (1837-1914) was a prominent figure in the Irish nationalist movement. He was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and participated in the Fenian Rising of 1867, which aimed to establish an independent Irish republic.
In the literary realm, the McCusker name is associated with Mary McCusker (1890-1963), an Irish novelist and short story writer. Her works often explored the lives of ordinary people in rural Ireland and were praised for their realism and attention to detail.
John McCusker (1940-2005) was a notable figure in the field of education. He served as the Principal of St. Mary's University College in Belfast and was instrumental in establishing the college as a leading institution for teacher training in Northern Ireland.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the McCusker surname throughout history, highlighting the name's Irish roots and its presence across various fields and eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccusker
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccusker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccusker 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 Mccusker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 3,134
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 116
- Two or more races3.3% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 31
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccusker
Mccusker 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
#9,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,574
+176 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 271 places
2020
#9,178
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,413
-161 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,864 | 3,398 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,135 | 3,574 | 1.21 | +176 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 271 places |
| 2020 | #9,178 | 3,413 | 1.14 | -161 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 43 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 Mccusker 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 | #9,135 | #9,178 | -0.5% |
| Count | 3,574 | 3,413 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.14 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccusker bearers went from 3,574 to 3,413 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,135 to #9,178.
FAQ
Mccusker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccusker?
Name Census estimates that about 3,914 living Americans carry the surname Mccusker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,571 residents.
How common is Mccusker?
Mccusker ranks #9,178 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 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 3,413 people with the surname Mccusker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,914), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 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 Mccusker.
Has Mccusker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccusker went from 3,574 recorded bearers to 3,413. That is a decrease of 161 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,135 to #9,178.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccusker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccusker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Mccusker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (3,134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccusker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Mccusker (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 Mccusker mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Oscair," meaning "son of Oscar" or "descendant of Oscar." 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 Mccusker (1.14 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 last name Mccusker?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Mccusker on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.