2000
#14,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,825
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Mcgrane
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Gráinne, meaning "son of Gráinne," derived from a Gaelic personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,087 Americans carry the last name Mcgrane. That puts it at #15,500 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,233 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgrane 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 Mcgrane with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 164,233
Census rank
#15,500
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,820 bearers of the surname Mcgrane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15500th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrane, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgrane
The surname MCGRANE is of Irish origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a variant of the Gaelic name Mac Gréine, which literally translates to "son of the sun" or "son of brightness". The prefix "Mac" is a patronymic designation meaning "son of", while "Gréine" is derived from the Irish word "grian", meaning "sun" or "radiance".
The earliest recorded instances of the name MCGRANE can be found in ancient Irish annals and manuscripts from the 12th and 13th centuries. These records often mentioned individuals with the name in connection with notable events or conflicts of that time period, indicating that the name held a certain prominence within Irish society.
One of the earliest known bearers of the MCGRANE name was Donnchadh Mac Gréine, a renowned Irish scholar and poet who lived in the late 12th century. His works, which included poetry and historical writings, have been preserved and studied by scholars for their cultural significance and insights into medieval Irish life.
In the 14th century, the name MCGRANE appeared in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in reference to a chieftain named Niall Mac Gréine. The annals recorded his involvement in battles and disputes with neighboring clans, highlighting the influential role played by the MCGRANE family in that era.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name MCGRANE was associated with several notable figures in Irish history. One such individual was Tadhg Mac Gréine, a influential landowner and chieftain in County Donegal, who was known for his leadership during the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland.
Another prominent bearer of the MCGRANE name was Seán Mac Gréine, a Catholic priest and scholar who lived in the late 17th century. He was renowned for his efforts in preserving and promoting Irish language and culture during a time of significant upheaval and repression under English rule.
As the MCGRANE surname spread throughout Ireland, it developed various spelling variations, such as MCGRANN, MCGRAN, and MCGREINE. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the influence of English language conventions on Irish names.
While the MCGRANE name has a rich historical legacy in Ireland, it is important to note that records and documentation from earlier periods can be incomplete or inconsistent due to the turbulent nature of Irish history and the challenges of preserving written records over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgrane
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrane, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgrane 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 Mcgrane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 1,694
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 64
- Two or more races1.8% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgrane
Mcgrane 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
#14,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,034
+209 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 246 places
2020
#15,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,820
-214 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 869 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,877 | 1,825 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,631 | 2,034 | 0.69 | +209 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 246 places |
| 2020 | #15,500 | 1,820 | 0.61 | -214 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 869 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 Mcgrane 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 | #14,631 | #15,500 | -5.9% |
| Count | 2,034 | 1,820 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.61 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgrane bearers went from 2,034 to 1,820 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 869 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,631 to #15,500.
FAQ
Mcgrane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgrane?
Name Census estimates that about 2,087 living Americans carry the surname Mcgrane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,233 residents.
How common is Mcgrane?
Mcgrane ranks #15,500 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,820 people with the surname Mcgrane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,087), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Mcgrane.
Has Mcgrane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgrane went from 2,034 recorded bearers to 1,820. That is a decrease of 214 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,631 to #15,500.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgrane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrane, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Mcgrane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (1,694 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgrane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Mcgrane (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 Mcgrane mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Gráinne, meaning "son of Gráinne," derived from a Gaelic 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 Mcgrane (0.61 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 have the last name Mcgrane?
You can see how many people have the surname Mcgrane on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.