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

McGrail, 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 McGrail surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGrail in America

McGrail is the 13700th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGrail surname appeared 2,210 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 McGrail.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGrail 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 McGrail

The surname McGrail is of Irish origin, with roots traced back to the medieval era in the counties of Donegal and Derry in Ulster province, Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "Mac Raith" or "Mac Rathghaille," meaning "son of Rathghal" or "son of the prosperous stranger."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the late 15th century. The annals reference a notable figure named Rory McGrail, who played a role in local conflicts and power struggles during that period.

In the 16th century, the McGrail surname appears in various historical documents, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Reign, which were administrative records kept by the English government in Ireland. These records often mention lands and properties owned by members of the McGrail family in the Ulster region.

As the McGrail clan spread throughout Ireland, various spellings of the name emerged, including McGrael, McGrayle, and McGrale. Some of these variations were influenced by the phonetic adaptations of the name by English scribes and record keepers.

One notable figure from the 17th century was Sir Cormac McGrail, a landowner and military leader who fought alongside the Irish Confederate forces during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653). He was known for his bravery and tactical skills in battles against the English Parliamentarian forces.

In the 18th century, the McGrail surname gained prominence in the literary world with the works of Seamus McGrail, a poet and playwright born in County Donegal in 1725. His plays and poems, written in both Irish and English, explored themes of Irish culture and identity during a turbulent period of Ireland's history.

Another distinguished individual was Bridget McGrail, a renowned educationalist from County Derry, who lived from 1785 to 1868. She founded several schools in the region and was instrumental in promoting education among the local population, particularly for girls and women.

In the 19th century, Francis McGrail (1821-1891), a civil engineer from County Donegal, made significant contributions to the construction of railways and infrastructure projects in Ireland and Britain. His work played a crucial role in the development of transportation networks during the Industrial Revolution.

As the McGrail family dispersed worldwide, the name continued to make its mark in various fields. One such example is Eamon McGrail (1917-2005), a respected historian and author from County Derry, who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Ulster, preserving valuable insights into the region's past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGrail

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

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

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

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