2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcgady
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Mag Aidh" meaning son of Aodh or Hugh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Mcgady. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgady 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.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Mcgady in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgady, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgady
The surname MCGADY is of Irish origin, originating from the County Mayo region in the west of Ireland as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic Irish name "Mac Ghadaidh", meaning "son of the fox". The name likely referred to someone who was considered cunning or sly, or perhaps took on some physical characteristics reminiscent of a fox.
The earliest known recorded mention of the name MCGADY dates back to 1258, when a Ruaidhri Mac Ghadaidh was listed as a landowner in the area now known as Westport, County Mayo. In those times, the name was often spelled in various ways such as MacGady, McGaddy, or Magawdy, reflecting the different regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
One of the more notable early bearers of the MCGADY name was Tadhg Mac Ghadaidh, a 15th-century chieftain of the Ó Gadhra clan in Mayo. He is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, a historical record of notable events in medieval Ireland, for his involvement in local conflicts and battles in the late 1400s.
In the 16th century, a branch of the MCGADY family settled in the area around Castlebar, County Mayo, where they became prominent landowners and merchants. The townland of Garryduff, which translates as "Black Garden" in Irish, is believed to have derived its name from a MCGADY family estate in the area during this time.
As the MCGADY name spread more widely across Ireland, several notable individuals emerged. Seán MCGADY (1601-1666) was a Roman Catholic priest and scholar who wrote extensively on Irish history and language. Eoghan MCGADY (1725-1799) was a celebrated poet and songwriter from County Sligo, known for his compositions in the Irish language.
In more recent centuries, the MCGADY name has been found across various parts of Ireland, as well as in Irish diaspora communities worldwide. Some notable bearers of the surname include playwright and novelist Dermot MCGADY (1907-1997), and Michael MCGADY (1941-2020), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgady
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgady, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgady 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 Mcgady surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 97
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgady
Mcgady appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-6 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,913 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 1,913 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 Mcgady 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 | #153,769 | #155,682 | -1.2% |
| Count | 106 | 100 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgady bearers went from 106 to 100 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 1,913 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,682.
FAQ
Mcgady surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgady?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Mcgady. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Mcgady?
Mcgady ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 100 people with the surname Mcgady. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mcgady.
Has Mcgady become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgady went from 106 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgady?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgady, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Mcgady in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgady appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Black (1.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Mcgady (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 Mcgady mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name "Mag Aidh" meaning son of Aodh or Hugh. 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 Mcgady (0.03 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 Mcgady?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Mcgady is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.