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

McGaughey, 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 McGaughey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGaughey in America

McGaughey is the 10517th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGaughey surname appeared 3,050 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 McGaughey.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGaughey 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 McGaughey

The surname MCGAUGHEY is of Scottish origin, originating in the 17th century in the region known as Galloway in southwest Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gogadh," meaning "keen" or "eager." The name may have also been influenced by the Old Norse word "gogga," meaning "to shake" or "to move."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCGAUGHEY surname can be found in the Parish Records of Kirkmaiden, Wigtownshire, Scotland, where a John McGaughey was listed in 1684. Some variations in spelling included McGaughie, McGaughy, and McGoughy.

In the late 17th century, several MCGAUGHEY families were known to have settled in the Ulster Plantation in Northern Ireland, particularly in County Antrim and County Down. This migration likely occurred during the Scottish Presbyterian migration to Ireland in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

Notable individuals with the MCGAUGHEY surname include:

1. William McGaughey (1827-1889), a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin.

2. James McGaughey (1786-1857), an Irish-born American pioneer and farmer who established one of the earliest settlements in Callaway County, Missouri.

3. Hugh McGaughey (1759-1838), an Irish-born American Revolutionary War soldier who fought in the Battle of King's Mountain.

4. John McGaughey (1790-1865), an Irish-born American pioneer and farmer who settled in Washington County, Indiana, in the early 19th century.

5. Robert McGaughey (1746-1819), a Scottish-born American farmer and Revolutionary War soldier who served in the Battle of Guilford Court House.

While the MCGAUGHEY surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and multiple countries, with its roots firmly planted in the Scottish Highlands and the Ulster Plantation of Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGaughey

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

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

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

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