2000
#13,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,053
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Mcgarity
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mag Oireachtaigh, meaning "descendant of Oireachtach," a personal name derived from oireachtach, meaning "member of an assembly."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,271 Americans carry the last name Mcgarity. That puts it at #14,490 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,927 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgarity 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
2.3K
1 in 150,927
Census rank
#14,490
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,980 bearers of the surname Mcgarity in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14490th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgarity, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgarity
The surname McGarity is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is a variant of the more common surname McGarrigle, which derives from the Gaelic "Mac Gara Ridire," meaning "son of the short-butted warrior."
The name McGarity is believed to have emerged in the region of Argyllshire, located in the western Scottish Highlands. Records indicate that the McGarity clan was prominent in this area, with several members holding positions of authority and influence.
One of the earliest known references to the name McGarity can be found in the Black Book of Taymouth, a 16th-century manuscript that documents the land holdings and genealogies of noble families in Scotland. The entry for the McGarity clan provides valuable insights into their history and territorial claims.
The first recorded individual with the surname McGarity was Lachlan McGarity, born in 1586 in Argyllshire. He was a renowned warrior and chieftain of the clan, known for his fierce defense of his people's lands against rival clans and English invaders.
Another notable figure was Angus McGarity (1612-1679), a prominent landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament. He played a crucial role in negotiating treaties between the Scottish clans and the English crown during the turbulent period of the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the McGarity name appeared in various historical records related to the Jacobite risings, which were a series of uprisings aimed at restoring the Stuart monarchy to the British throne. Several members of the McGarity clan were staunch supporters of the Jacobite cause.
One such individual was Archibald McGarity (1726-1802), who fought alongside the Jacobite forces at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Despite the defeat, he managed to escape and lived in exile for several years before returning to Scotland.
In the 19th century, the McGarity name gained prominence in the literary world with the Scottish writer and poet, Iain McGarity (1820-1894). His works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Scottish Highlands and helped preserve traditional Gaelic folklore for future generations.
Throughout its history, the McGarity surname has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McGarity's Glen, McGarity's Loch, and McGarity's Brae, reflecting the clan's deep connections to the land and their territorial holdings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgarity
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgarity, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgarity 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 Mcgarity surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.6% · 1,457
- Black or African American14.1% · 279
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 123
- Two or more races5.3% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgarity
Mcgarity 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
#14,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
-5 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 982 places
2020
#14,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,980
-68 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,567 | 2,053 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,549 | 2,048 | 0.69 | -5 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 982 places |
| 2020 | #14,490 | 1,980 | 0.66 | -68 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 59 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 Mcgarity 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 | #14,549 | #14,490 | 0.4% |
| Count | 2,048 | 1,980 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.66 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgarity bearers went from 2,048 to 1,980 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,549 to #14,490.
FAQ
Mcgarity surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgarity?
Name Census estimates that about 2,271 living Americans carry the surname Mcgarity. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,927 residents.
How common is Mcgarity?
Mcgarity ranks #14,490 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,980 people with the surname Mcgarity. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,271), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Mcgarity.
Has Mcgarity become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgarity went from 2,048 recorded bearers to 1,980. That is a decrease of 68 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,549 to #14,490.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgarity?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgarity, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.1%) and Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Mcgarity in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.6% (1,457 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgarity appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.6%), Black (14.1%), Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Mcgarity (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 Mcgarity mean?
Anglicized form of Gaelic Mag Oireachtaigh, meaning "descendant of Oireachtach," a personal name derived from oireachtach, meaning "member of an assembly." 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 Mcgarity (0.66 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 many people share the surname Mcgarity?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.