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

McGhee, 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 McGhee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGhee in America

McGhee is the 1529th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGhee surname appeared 23,461 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname McGhee.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGhee 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 McGhee

The surname McGhee is of Scottish origin, with its roots traceable back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Ghie, which translates to "son of the stranger" or "son of the outsider." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have been immigrants or settlers from another region, perhaps Ireland or elsewhere.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "McGhee" and is believed to refer to a family from the region of Argyll.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the name, such as "McGhie," "McGhee," and "McGhye," were prevalent in the counties of Ayr and Dumfries in southwestern Scotland. Several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged during this period, including John McGhie (1549-1622), a respected minister in the Scottish Kirk.

As the centuries progressed, the name spread beyond Scotland's borders. In Ireland, the McGhee name can be found in counties such as Antrim and Down, particularly among Protestant settlers from Scotland. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Ralph McGhee (1738-1823), an Irish-born British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.

In the United States, the McGhee name first gained prominence in the late 18th century, as Scottish and Scots-Irish immigrants began arriving in significant numbers. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of James McGhee (1765-1843), a Revolutionary War veteran from Pennsylvania who later settled in Tennessee.

Other notable individuals bearing the McGhee surname include George Crews McGhee (1851-1912), an American politician and lawyer who served as the 36th Governor of Arkansas, and John McGhee (1854-1933), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who founded the McGhee Memorial Institute in Norfolk, Virginia.

Throughout its long history, the McGhee name has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish roots, while also becoming well-established in various parts of the English-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGhee

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

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

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

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