2000
#5,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,936
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.20
Rare Last name
Mcginty
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac an tSaoi," meaning "son of the scholar or storyteller."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,761 Americans carry the last name Mcginty. That puts it at #5,672 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,696 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcginty surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcginty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,696
Census rank
#5,672
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,896 bearers of the surname Mcginty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5672nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcginty, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcginty
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcginty, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcginty bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcginty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 5,013
- Black or African American6.5% · 381
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 219
- Two or more races3.5% · 207
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcginty
Mcginty appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,084
+148 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Down 298 places
2020
#5,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,896
-188 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Up 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,399 | 5,936 | 2.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,697 | 6,084 | 2.06 | +148 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 298 places |
| 2020 | #5,672 | 5,896 | 1.97 | -188 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 25 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcginty surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,697 | #5,672 | 0.4% |
| Count | 6,084 | 5,896 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.06 | 1.97 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcginty bearers went from 6,084 to 5,896 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,697 to #5,672.
FAQ
Mcginty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcginty?
Name Census estimates that about 6,761 living Americans carry the surname Mcginty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,696 residents.
How common is Mcginty?
Mcginty ranks #5,672 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,896 people with the surname Mcginty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,761), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mcginty.
Has Mcginty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcginty went from 6,084 recorded bearers to 5,896. That is a decrease of 188 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,697 to #5,672.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcginty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcginty, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcginty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (5,013 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcginty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Black (6.5%), Hispanic (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcginty (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcginty mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac an tSaoi," meaning "son of the scholar or storyteller." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcginty (1.97 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Mcginty?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Mcginty on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.