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

McGeary, 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 McGeary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGeary in America

McGeary is the 20829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGeary surname appeared 1,267 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McGeary.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGeary 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 McGeary

The surname McGeary has its origins in Ireland, emerging in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic name Mac Geidheadh, which means "son of the plunderer." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been associated with raiding or plundering activities, either as participants or as those targeted by such actions.

The name is believed to have originated in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in Ulster. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. These references date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, indicating the long-standing presence of the McGeary name in Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname McGeary was Brian McGeary, who was mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in the year 1277. Another notable figure was Eoghan McGeary, a chieftain from County Tyrone, who was involved in battles against the English forces during the Nine Years' War (1594-1603).

As the centuries progressed, the McGeary name spread across Ireland, with branches of the family establishing themselves in various regions. Some variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as McGarry, McGerry, and McGeery, reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional variations within Ireland.

In the 17th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, many Irish families, including the McGearys, were displaced from their ancestral lands. This led to the dispersion of the name across other parts of Ireland and, eventually, to other parts of the world through immigration.

Notable individuals with the surname McGeary include:

1. Seán McGeary (1909-1969), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Labour Party.
2. William McGeary (1828-1893), an Irish-American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
3. Thomas McGeary (1813-1893), an Irish-American inventor and businessman who founded the McGeary Stove Company in Pennsylvania.
4. Patrick McGeary (1935-2018), an Irish hurler who played for the Antrim senior hurling team.
5. John McGeary (1902-1984), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the McGeary Foundation in New York.

The history of the McGeary surname is deeply rooted in the cultural and historical fabric of Ireland, with its origins dating back to the medieval era. While the name has spread across the globe, its roots remain firmly tied to the Emerald Isle.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGeary

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

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

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

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