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

McGaha, 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 McGaha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGaha in America

McGaha is the 8676th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGaha surname appeared 3,787 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 McGaha.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGaha 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 McGaha

The surname MCGAHA originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "gath," meaning "sting" or "sharp point." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with a sharp or prickly personality.

The name first appeared in written records in the Highlands region of Scotland, particularly in the areas around Inverness and Lochaber. It is closely related to the similar surnames McGavock and McGaughey, which share the same Gaelic root.

One of the earliest documented instances of the MCGAHA surname can be found in the Parish Register of Kilmonivaig, Inverness-shire, which records the birth of Donald MCGAHA in 1602. Another early reference is the baptism of Iain MCGAHA in the Lochaber parish of Kilmallie in 1618.

In the 17th century, the MCGAHA name began to spread throughout Scotland, with families settling in various regions, including Glasgow and the Outer Hebrides. During this time, the name also appeared in various spellings, such as McGaha, McGahey, and McGahie.

One notable figure bearing the MCGAHA surname was Alexander MCGAHA, a Scottish Highlander who fought alongside Bonnie Prince Charlie during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He was born in Lochaber around 1720 and is believed to have died in battle during the uprising.

Another prominent MCGAHA was Angus MCGAHA (1790-1868), a stonemason and builder from Inverness who was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in the city, including the Old High Church and the Northern Meeting Rooms.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many McGahas emigrated from Scotland to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One such individual was Donald MCGAHA (1801-1879), who settled in Nova Scotia, Canada, and became a successful shipbuilder and merchant.

Another notable bearer of the MCGAHA name was Mary MCGAHA (1860-1932), a Scottish-born teacher and educator who played a crucial role in establishing the first public school system in the Australian state of Queensland.

Finally, John MCGAHA (1872-1944) was a Scottish-born farmer and community leader who settled in the Canterbury region of New Zealand in the late 19th century. He played an important role in the development of the local agricultural industry and served as a member of the Canterbury County Council.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGaha

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

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

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

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