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

McElyea, 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 McElyea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McElyea in America

McElyea is the 14783rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McElyea surname appeared 2,008 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 McElyea.

We can also compare 2010 data for McElyea 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 McElyea

The surname MCELYEA has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a variation of the name McIlvride or MacIlvride, which is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "gillebride" meaning "servant of St. Bridget."

The name was initially found in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Bute. Historical records indicate that the MCELYEA name was often interchangeable with spellings such as McElvey, McIlvey, and McElvie, among others.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the MCELYEA name can be found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1579, where a John McIlvride is listed. Another notable early reference is in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland from 1597, which mentions a Donald McIlvrid.

In the 17th century, the MCELYEA name was associated with the MacKenzie Clan, a powerful and influential family in the Scottish Highlands. Some members of the clan adopted the MCELYEA variant as their surname during this period.

Notable individuals with the MCELYEA surname include:

1. Archibald McIlvride (1650-1721), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1718.
2. John McElvie (1785-1868), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada.
3. William McElyea (1825-1901), an American Civil War veteran who fought for the Union Army and later became a prominent businessman in Tennessee.
4. Margaret McElvey (1879-1962), a Scottish-born American educator and suffragist who played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement in the United States.
5. James McElyea (1900-1980), a Scottish-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City and surrounding areas.

The MCELYEA name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions. Despite these changes, the surname has maintained its Scottish roots and continues to be a source of pride for many families around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McElyea

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

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

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

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