Find out how popular the last name McGillvray is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McGillvray.
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic meaning "son of the servant" or "follower".
McGillvray, 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 McGillvray surname is from the 2010 census data.
McGillvray is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The McGillvray surname appeared 147 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 McGillvray.
We can also compare 2010 data for McGillvray 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 118185 | 111740 | 5.61% |
| Count | 147 | 146 | 0.68% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.00% |
The surname MCGILLVRAY is of Scottish origin, with its roots tracing back to the Highlands of Scotland in the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Bhràth," which translates to "son of the servant of judgment" or "son of the follower of St. Brade."
The earliest known record of the name appears in the Black Book of Taymouth, a 16th-century manuscript that documents the genealogy of various Scottish clans. In this manuscript, the name is spelled "MacGillivray." The variation "McGillvray" emerged later, reflecting the anglicization of the name.
One of the earliest notable figures with this surname was Æneas McGillvray, a Scottish-born merchant and planter who settled in the British colony of West Florida in the 18th century. McGillvray played a significant role in establishing trade relationships with the Creek and Choctaw Native American tribes.
Another prominent individual with the MCGILLVRAY surname was Alexander McGillvray (1759-1793), a Creek chief and leader who was born to a Scottish father and a Creek mother. He was a skilled diplomat and negotiator, navigating the complex relationships between Native American tribes, European settlers, and colonial powers during the late 18th century.
In the 19th century, John McGillvray (1822-1896), a Scottish-born engineer and surveyor, made significant contributions to the development of infrastructure in Australia. He was involved in the construction of railways, bridges, and other public works projects.
During the same period, William McGillvray (1828-1902), a Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist, established himself in Australia. He amassed a substantial fortune through various business ventures and became a prominent figure in Sydney, supporting numerous charitable causes.
Another notable figure is Angus McGillvray (1896-1973), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Cape Breton North and Victoria.
The MCGILLVRAY surname is also associated with various place names, particularly in Scotland. For example, the village of McGillvray in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, is believed to have derived its name from the surname.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McGillvray.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McGillvray was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 94.56% | 139 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 McGillvray has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.56% | 95.89% | -1.40% |
| Black | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
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 McGillvray was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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