2000
#13,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Mcgrail
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Raghnaill," meaning "son of Raghnall" (Reginald).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,482 Americans carry the last name Mcgrail. That puts it at #13,452 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,096 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgrail 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 Mcgrail with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 138,096
Census rank
#13,452
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,164 bearers of the surname Mcgrail in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13452nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrail, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 16th century, the McGrail surname appears in various historical documents, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Reign, which were administrative records kept by the English government in Ireland.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgrail
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrail, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgrail 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 Mcgrail surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 2,011
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 67
- Two or more races2.8% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgrail
Mcgrail 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
#13,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,210
+55 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 660 places
2020
#13,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,164
-46 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 248 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,040 | 2,155 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,700 | 2,210 | 0.75 | +55 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 660 places |
| 2020 | #13,452 | 2,164 | 0.72 | -46 bearers (-2.1%) | Up 248 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 Mcgrail 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 | #13,700 | #13,452 | 1.8% |
| Count | 2,210 | 2,164 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.72 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgrail bearers went from 2,210 to 2,164 (-2.1% change). The surname moved up 248 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,700 to #13,452.
FAQ
Mcgrail surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgrail?
Name Census estimates that about 2,482 living Americans carry the surname Mcgrail. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,096 residents.
How common is Mcgrail?
Mcgrail ranks #13,452 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,164 people with the surname Mcgrail. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,482), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Mcgrail.
Has Mcgrail become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgrail went from 2,210 recorded bearers to 2,164. That is a decrease of 46 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,700 to #13,452.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgrail?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrail, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Mcgrail in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (2,011 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgrail appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Mcgrail (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 Mcgrail mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Raghnaill," meaning "son of Raghnall" (Reginald). 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 Mcgrail (0.72 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 people are called Mcgrail?
See how many Americans have the surname Mcgrail on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.