2000
#6,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,967
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.84
Rare Last name
Mcgough
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mag Eochaidh," meaning "son of Eochaidh" (a personal name).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,633 Americans carry the last name Mcgough. That puts it at #6,614 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,848 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgough 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 Mcgough with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 60,848
Census rank
#6,614
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,912 bearers of the surname Mcgough in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6614th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgough, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgough
The surname McGough has its origins in Ireland and is a variant of the Gaelic name Mac Eochadha, meaning "son of Eochaidh". Eochaidh is derived from the Old Irish word "ech", meaning "horse". The name is thought to have originated in County Donegal, a region in the northwest of Ireland, where it was prevalent among the clans of that area.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In these annals, the name is spelled in various ways, including Mac Eochadha, Mac Eochaidh, and Mac Eochadh.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Niall Mac Eochadha, a prominent chieftain in County Donegal, who lived in the late 14th century. Another early bearer of the name was Domhnall Mac Eochadha, a renowned poet and scholar who flourished in the 16th century.
As the name spread beyond its original region, variations in spelling emerged, including McGough, McGow, and McGoo. Some of these variations were influenced by anglicization or adaptations to different regional dialects.
In the 17th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, many McGoughs were dispossessed of their lands and scattered throughout Ireland and beyond. Some found their way to Scotland, where the name took on the form McGough or McGow.
A notable figure from this period was Eoghan McGough, a soldier who fought for the Confederate Catholics during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653). He was later executed for his role in the conflict.
In the 18th century, the McGough name appeared in various parts of Ireland, with concentrations in counties like Donegal, Derry, and Tyrone. One prominent individual was Séamus McGough (1718-1788), a renowned Irish harper and composer.
As the Irish diaspora spread across the globe, the McGough name found its way to various corners of the world. In the 19th century, James McGough (1810-1889), an Irish-born author and journalist, made a name for himself in the United States, where he worked as a newspaper editor and published several books.
Another notable figure was Roger McGough (born 1937), an English poet, playwright, and children's author, who was part of the Liverpool literary scene in the 1960s and is widely regarded as one of Britain's most celebrated contemporary poets.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgough
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgough, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgough 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 Mcgough surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 4,229
- Black or African American4.5% · 223
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 206
- Two or more races3.7% · 183
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgough
Mcgough 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
#6,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,150
+183 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Down 257 places
2020
#6,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,912
-238 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,317 | 4,967 | 1.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,574 | 5,150 | 1.75 | +183 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 257 places |
| 2020 | #6,614 | 4,912 | 1.64 | -238 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 40 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 Mcgough 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 | #6,574 | #6,614 | -0.6% |
| Count | 5,150 | 4,912 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.75 | 1.64 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgough bearers went from 5,150 to 4,912 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,574 to #6,614.
FAQ
Mcgough surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgough?
Name Census estimates that about 5,633 living Americans carry the surname Mcgough. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,848 residents.
How common is Mcgough?
Mcgough ranks #6,614 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.64 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 4,912 people with the surname Mcgough. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,633), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.64 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 Mcgough.
Has Mcgough become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgough went from 5,150 recorded bearers to 4,912. That is a decrease of 238 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,574 to #6,614.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgough?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgough, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Mcgough in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (4,229 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgough appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Black (4.5%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Mcgough (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 Mcgough mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mag Eochaidh," meaning "son of Eochaidh" (a personal name). 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 Mcgough (1.64 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 many Americans have the surname Mcgough?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.