2000
#7,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,927
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Mcgarvey
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gairbhith," meaning "son of the rough peace."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,471 Americans carry the last name Mcgarvey. That puts it at #8,128 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgarvey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcgarvey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,662
Census rank
#8,128
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,899 bearers of the surname Mcgarvey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8128th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgarvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgarvey
The surname McGarvey has its origins in Ireland, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Mac Garbháin," which translates to "son of Garbhán." Garbhán was a personal name that meant "rough" or "coarse," possibly referring to a person's physical appearance or demeanor.
The McGarvey name was initially concentrated in County Tyrone, located in the northern part of Ireland. Over time, it spread to other regions of the country as families migrated and settled in new areas. Variations in spelling, such as McGarvie, McGarvery, and McGarvy, emerged due to differences in pronunciation and recording practices.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the McGarvey name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. This manuscript, compiled by monks in the 15th century, mentions a "Murchadh Mac Garbháin" in an entry dated 1244.
In the 16th century, the McGarvey name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reign of the Tudor monarchs in England and Ireland. These records provide insight into land grants, appointments, and other administrative matters involving individuals with the McGarvey surname.
Notable figures bearing the McGarvey name include:
1. Patrick McGarvey (1640-1692), an Irish Catholic priest who played a significant role in preserving the faith during the Penal Laws era in Ireland.
2. John McGarvey (1780-1853), an Irish-born teacher and educational reformer who established several schools in County Tyrone and advocated for improved educational opportunities.
3. Emma McGarvey (1855-1938), a prominent Irish suffragist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and social reforms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
4. Michael McGarvey (1892-1979), an American labor leader and politician who served as the President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and represented Ohio in the United States House of Representatives.
5. Seamus McGarvey (born 1967), an Irish cinematographer known for his work on films such as "The Avengers," "Atonement," and "Anna Karenina," for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
The McGarvey surname has a rich history that spans centuries and reflects the cultural heritage of Ireland. Its origins can be traced back to ancient personal names and its presence can be found in various historical records, demonstrating the enduring legacy of this Irish family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgarvey
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgarvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgarvey 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 Mcgarvey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 3,656
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 108
- Two or more races2.3% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 32
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgarvey
Mcgarvey 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
#8,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,945
+18 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 578 places
2020
#8,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,899
-46 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,811 | 3,927 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,389 | 3,945 | 1.34 | +18 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 578 places |
| 2020 | #8,128 | 3,899 | 1.30 | -46 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 261 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 Mcgarvey 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 | #8,389 | #8,128 | 3.1% |
| Count | 3,945 | 3,899 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.30 | -2.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgarvey bearers went from 3,945 to 3,899 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 261 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,389 to #8,128.
FAQ
Mcgarvey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgarvey?
Name Census estimates that about 4,471 living Americans carry the surname Mcgarvey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,662 residents.
How common is Mcgarvey?
Mcgarvey ranks #8,128 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,899 people with the surname Mcgarvey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,471), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Mcgarvey.
Has Mcgarvey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgarvey went from 3,945 recorded bearers to 3,899. That is a decrease of 46 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,389 to #8,128.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgarvey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgarvey, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Mcgarvey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (3,656 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgarvey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Mcgarvey (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 Mcgarvey mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gairbhith," meaning "son of the rough peace." 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 Mcgarvey (1.30 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 Mcgarvey?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.