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

McGhan, 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 McGhan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGhan in America

McGhan is the 54055th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGhan surname appeared 382 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 McGhan.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGhan 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 McGhan

The surname McGhan has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Mac Ionghain," which means "son of the young one." The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Mayo and Sligo, where various spellings such as McGhane and McGhan were common.

Historical records suggest that the McGhan surname can be traced back to the 16th century in Ireland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of royal letters and orders from the 16th and 17th centuries. In this document, a reference is made to a "Dermot McGhan" in the year 1591.

The McGhan name is also found in various land and property records from the 17th and 18th centuries in Ireland. For instance, in the Petty's Census of 1659, a "John McGhan" is listed as a landowner in County Mayo. Similarly, the Hearth Money Rolls of the late 17th century mention several McGhan families residing in various parts of Ireland.

One notable individual bearing the McGhan surname was Patrick McGhan (1789-1862), an Irish Catholic priest and educator. He was born in County Mayo and served as the president of St. Patrick's College in Maynooth, Ireland, from 1845 to 1860. Another notable figure was John McGhan (1811-1891), an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States from 1859 to 1877.

In the 19th century, the McGhan name began to appear more frequently in North America, as many Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Famine sought new opportunities in the United States and Canada. One such individual was James McGhan (1832-1906), an Irish immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in the city of Philadelphia.

Another noteworthy individual was Thomas McGhan (1866-1936), an Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Binghamton, New York, from 1921 to 1925. He was also a successful businessman and owned several hotels in the Binghamton area.

While the McGhan surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to Irish emigration over the centuries. The name continues to be prevalent in countries with significant Irish diaspora populations, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGhan

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

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

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

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