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

McGonagle, 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 McGonagle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGonagle in America

McGonagle is the 11821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGonagle surname appeared 2,647 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McGonagle.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGonagle 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 McGonagle

The surname McGonagle is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the early 16th century in County Donegal, Ireland. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Gonagle," an anglicized form of the Irish name "Ó Conghalaigh" or "Ó Conghaile," meaning "descendant of Conghal."

The name Conghal is an ancient Irish personal name derived from the words "con" meaning "hound" or "wolf" and "gal" meaning "valor" or "bravery," suggesting the name may have been given to a person known for their courage and strength in battle. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be "McGonagill" in the Fiants of Elizabeth I in 1598.

In the 17th century, the McGonagle family was prominent in the Parish of Inishkeel, County Donegal, where they held lands and were considered an important clan. The name is also found in various historical records from this time, such as the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 and the Census of Ireland of 1659.

One notable figure with the surname McGonagle was Patrick McGonagle (1819-1897), an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City. He established the McGonagle Fund for the education of Irish immigrant children.

Another prominent individual was James McGonagle (1825-1901), a Scottish-born Irish poet and journalist who was active in the Young Ireland movement and later settled in the United States. His works include "The Patriot's Grave" and "The Green Gem of the Western World."

In the 19th century, the McGonagle family was also found in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. One notable Scottish McGonagle was John McGonagle (1835-1892), a successful businessman and member of the Town Council of Saltcoats, Ayrshire.

The name McGonagle is also found in various place names in Ireland, such as McGonagle's Bridge in County Donegal and McGonagle's Island in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, further attesting to the historical significance of this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGonagle

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

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

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

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