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

McGinty, 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 McGinty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGinty in America

McGinty is the 5697th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGinty surname appeared 6,084 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname McGinty.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGinty 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 McGinty

The surname McGinty is of Irish origin, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is a variant of the Scottish name MacKinnie or McKinnie, which was derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Ionmhuinn," meaning "son of the beloved one."

The McGinty name was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in the regions of Ulster and Donegal. It is believed that the name's earliest recorded appearance was in the Fiants of the Irish Chancery during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the McGinty name was Seán Óg McGinty, a prominent Irish chieftain and landowner who lived in the early 17th century. He was known for his involvement in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, which aimed to secure greater rights and freedoms for Catholics in Ireland.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the McGinty name appeared in various historical records and documents, such as the Hearth Money Rolls and the Census of Ireland. Notable individuals from this period include Patrick McGinty (1670-1748), a renowned poet and storyteller from County Donegal, and Bridget McGinty (1725-1802), a respected herbalist and healer from County Tyrone.

In the 19th century, the McGinty name gained prominence with the birth of John McGinty (1819-1892), a successful businessman and politician who served as a member of the Irish Parliament. He was instrumental in advocating for better working conditions and rights for Irish workers during the Industrial Revolution.

Another notable figure was Mary McGinty (1845-1923), a pioneering educator who founded several schools in the United States, catering to the education of Irish immigrants and their children. She was widely recognized for her dedication to promoting literacy and cultural preservation among the Irish-American community.

The McGinty surname has also been carried by several notable artists and writers, including the Irish novelist and playwright Séamus McGinty (1877-1954), whose works explored the complexities of Irish identity and the struggles of the working class.

Throughout its history, the McGinty name has undergone various spelling variations, such as McGinley, McGinney, and McGinlay, reflecting the fluidity of language and regional dialects in Ireland and Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGinty

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!