2000
#7,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,841
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Mcgrady
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Gráda, meaning "son of Gráda" (Gráda meaning "noble" or "illustrious").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,002 Americans carry the last name Mcgrady. That puts it at #8,995 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,646 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgrady 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 Mcgrady with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,646
Census rank
#8,995
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,490 bearers of the surname Mcgrady in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8995th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrady, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgrady
The surname McGrady is of Irish origin, with roots stretching back to the 12th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic surname Mac Grádaigh, which translates to "son of the gracious one." This name is believed to have originated in County Donegal, a region in the northwest of Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The Annals mention a man named Gilla Críst Mac Grádaigh, who was a notable figure in the year 1188.
The McGrady surname has a long and storied history in Ireland, with several notable bearers throughout the centuries. In the 16th century, Cormac Og McGrady was a renowned bard and poet who composed works in the traditional Irish literary style.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, a man named Turlough McGrady played a significant role as a captain in the Irish Confederate forces. He fought against the English and Scottish armies during this tumultuous period of Irish history.
In the 18th century, a prominent McGrady was Patrick McGrady, born in County Tyrone in 1718. He was a influential Catholic landowner and played a vital role in the local community.
Another notable bearer of the name was John McGrady, born in County Armagh in 1825. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who donated generously to various charitable causes in his lifetime.
The McGrady surname has also been found in various locations throughout Ireland, with slight variations in spelling. For instance, the name has appeared as MacGrady, Megrady, and McGraddy in historical records from different regions.
While the name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration. However, the rich history and origins of the McGrady surname can be traced back to the Emerald Isle and the proud Gaelic heritage of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgrady
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrady, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgrady 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 Mcgrady surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 2,795
- Black or African American13.2% · 459
- Two or more races3.3% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 92
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgrady
Mcgrady 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
#8,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,819
-22 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 628 places
2020
#8,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,490
-329 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,983 | 3,841 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,611 | 3,819 | 1.29 | -22 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 628 places |
| 2020 | #8,995 | 3,490 | 1.17 | -329 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 384 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 Mcgrady 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 | #8,611 | #8,995 | -4.5% |
| Count | 3,819 | 3,490 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.17 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgrady bearers went from 3,819 to 3,490 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 384 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,611 to #8,995.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcgrady
FAQ
Mcgrady surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgrady?
Name Census estimates that about 4,002 living Americans carry the surname Mcgrady. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,646 residents.
How common is Mcgrady?
Mcgrady ranks #8,995 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,490 people with the surname Mcgrady. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,002), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcgrady.
Has Mcgrady become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgrady went from 3,819 recorded bearers to 3,490. That is a decrease of 329 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,611 to #8,995.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgrady?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrady, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (13.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Mcgrady in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (2,795 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgrady appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (13.2%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Mcgrady (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 Mcgrady mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Gráda, meaning "son of Gráda" (Gráda meaning "noble" or "illustrious"). 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 Mcgrady (1.17 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 Mcgrady?
Want to know how many people have the surname Mcgrady? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.