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

McEntire, 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 McEntire surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McEntire in America

McEntire is the 8042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McEntire surname appeared 4,115 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 McEntire.

We can also compare 2010 data for McEntire 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 McEntire

The surname McEntire has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" and "an t-saoir," meaning "son of the carpenter." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely skilled craftsmen or artisans.

The name is thought to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. Early records show variations in spellings, such as McIntyre, MacIntyre, and McEntyre, reflecting the phonetic nature of Scottish naming practices.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded homages sworn to King Edward I of England. The entry "Gillecrist Macansair" is believed to be an early spelling of the surname.

In the 17th century, the McEntire name appears in the records of the Scottish Privy Council. In 1613, a certain Dougall McEntyre was charged with "oppression and violence" against his neighbors in Argyllshire.

Notable individuals bearing the McEntire surname include Sir John McIntyre (1759-1833), a Scottish businessman and member of the British Parliament; William McIntyre (1768-1832), a Scottish minister and writer; and Duncan Ban McIntyre (1724-1812), a renowned Scottish Gaelic poet.

Another prominent figure was Sir Archibald McIntyre (1770-1828), a Scottish soldier and colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1804 to 1808.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the McEntire name dates back to 1776, when James McEntire served in the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout history, the McEntire surname has been associated with various professions, including carpenters, farmers, merchants, and military personnel. The name has also been linked to several place names in Scotland, such as McIntyre's Muir and McIntyre's Mount.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McEntire

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

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

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

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