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

McFee, 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 McFee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McFee in America

McFee is the 14447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McFee surname appeared 2,068 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 McFee.

We can also compare 2010 data for McFee 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 McFee

The surname McFee has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Phaidein," which means "son of Paidein" or "son of the little Patrick." The name was initially used as a patronymic, indicating the father's name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Macfee" in these rolls, suggesting that the spelling and pronunciation had already evolved from its original Gaelic form.

In the 16th century, the McFee family was prominent in the region of Argyll, Scotland. Historical records from this time mention a Duncan McFee, who was a prominent landowner and chieftain of the clan. His descendants continued to hold significant influence in the area for several generations.

The McFee name also appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that some members of the clan had migrated to England by the late 11th century, likely due to political or economic reasons.

One notable figure in the history of the McFee name is John McFee (1650-1725), a Scottish philosopher and theologian known for his writings on natural theology and moral philosophy. He was born in Ayrshire and studied at the University of Glasgow, later becoming a minister in the Church of Scotland.

Another prominent individual was Sir Alexander McFee (1775-1847), a Scottish-born soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in various battles, including the Battle of Waterloo, and was knighted for his bravery and leadership.

In the arts, the name is associated with the Scottish poet and playwright, Robert McFee (1820-1890). Born in Dundee, he gained recognition for his works celebrating Scottish life and culture, including the play "The Laird o' Cockpen."

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the McFee name was in the late 18th century, when a family of Scottish immigrants settled in the Carolinas. Their descendants later migrated westward, contributing to the growth and development of various regions across the country.

Throughout history, the McFee name has been spelled in various ways, including MacFee, McPhee, and McVee, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McFee

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

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

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

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