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

McGoy, 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 McGoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGoy in America

McGoy is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGoy surname appeared 112 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 McGoy.

The history of the last name McGoy

The surname MCGOY originated in Scotland, where it first appeared around the 13th century. It is a variant of the Scottish surname McGhee, which is derived from the Gaelic personal name Aodh, meaning "fire" or "flame." The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" in Scottish surnames means "son of."

MCGOY was initially concentrated in the western regions of Scotland, particularly in Argyllshire and the Hebrides islands. It is believed to have evolved from the older spelling "McAidh," which was a common rendering of the Gaelic name Aodh in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCGOY surname can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a "Gillebride McAidh" is mentioned. These rolls were financial records maintained by the Scottish government, indicating that individuals with variations of this surname held some status or property at the time.

In the 16th century, the MCGOY name appeared in the famous Scottish manuscript known as the Black Book of Taymouth, which contained records of land charters and other legal documents. A "Duncan McGoy" is listed as a witness to a land transaction in 1548.

Notable individuals bearing the MCGOY surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John McGoy (c. 1520 - 1598), a Scottish soldier and landowner who played a role in the conflicts between the Protestant and Catholic factions during the Scottish Reformation.

2. Alasdair McGoy (c. 1650 - 1720), a renowned Scottish bard and poet who composed works in both Gaelic and English.

3. Mary McGoy (1755 - 1832), a Scottish educator and philanthropist who founded one of the first schools for girls in Glasgow.

4. James McGoy (1810 - 1892), a Scottish-born American industrialist who established a successful textile manufacturing business in New England.

5. Robert McGoy (1875 - 1941), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to document the flora and fauna of the outback regions.

While the MCGOY surname has its roots in Scotland, it later spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond as Scottish emigrants and settlers dispersed over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGoy

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

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 McGoy 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.

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

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

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