2000
#8,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,687
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Mcgaha
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname McGaughey, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eachaidh" meaning "son of Eachaidh."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,072 Americans carry the last name Mcgaha. That puts it at #8,852 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,173 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgaha 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
4.1K
1 in 84,173
Census rank
#8,852
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,551 bearers of the surname Mcgaha in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8852nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgaha, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgaha
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgaha, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgaha 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 Mcgaha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 2,946
- Black or African American8.6% · 305
- Two or more races4.4% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgaha
Mcgaha appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,787
+100 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Down 410 places
2020
#8,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,551
-236 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,266 | 3,687 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,676 | 3,787 | 1.28 | +100 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 410 places |
| 2020 | #8,852 | 3,551 | 1.19 | -236 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 176 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 Mcgaha 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 | #8,676 | #8,852 | -2.0% |
| Count | 3,787 | 3,551 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.19 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgaha bearers went from 3,787 to 3,551 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,676 to #8,852.
FAQ
Mcgaha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgaha?
Name Census estimates that about 4,072 living Americans carry the surname Mcgaha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,173 residents.
How common is Mcgaha?
Mcgaha ranks #8,852 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,551 people with the surname Mcgaha. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,072), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcgaha.
Has Mcgaha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgaha went from 3,787 recorded bearers to 3,551. That is a decrease of 236 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,676 to #8,852.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgaha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgaha, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Mcgaha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (2,946 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgaha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Black (8.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Mcgaha (2000, 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 Mcgaha mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname McGaughey, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eachaidh" meaning "son of Eachaidh." 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 Mcgaha (1.19 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 Mcgaha?
See how many people are called Mcgaha on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.