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

McGrath, 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 McGrath surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGrath in America

McGrath is the 1006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGrath surname appeared 34,871 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname McGrath.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGrath 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 McGrath

The surname MCGRATH is of Irish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "gráth" meaning "grace" or "favor." The name was originally spelled as MacGraith or MacGrath and was anglicized to its current spelling over time.

The MCGRATH surname is believed to have originated in County Tipperary, Ireland, where it was prominent among the ruling families of the region. The name is closely associated with the Ely O'Carroll territory, which encompassed parts of modern-day counties Tipperary, Offaly, and King's County (now Laois).

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the MCGRATH name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written by monks at the Inisfallen Abbey in County Kerry. The annals mention a "Muircheartach Mac Gráith" who was the Chief Poet of Munster in the year 1151.

In the 16th century, a branch of the MCGRATH family settled in County Cork, where they became prominent landowners and held the hereditary title of "White Knights." One notable member of this branch was Sir John McGrath (c. 1555-1624), who was knighted by King James I of England for his service in the Irish wars.

Another significant figure in MCGRATH history was Theobald McGrath (c. 1575-1637), an Irish Catholic priest who served as Bishop of Clogher and later converted to Protestantism. He played a prominent role in the Reformation in Ireland and was involved in the translation of the Bible into Irish.

In the 18th century, a MCGRATH family from County Tipperary emigrated to the American colonies and settled in Pennsylvania. One of their descendants, John McGrath (1792-1867), became a prominent businessman and landowner in western Pennsylvania.

Other notable individuals with the surname MCGRATH include:

1. John Joseph McGrath (1871-1934), an American prelate who served as Bishop of Trenton, New Jersey.
2. Thomas McGrath (1916-1990), an American poet and political activist known for his contributions to the Objectivist and Beat poetry movements.
3. Declan McGrath (1925-2004), an Irish actor and playwright best known for his roles in films like "The Quiet Man" and "Ryan's Daughter."
4. Paul McGrath (born 1959), a former professional football player from Ireland who played for various clubs, including Manchester United and Aston Villa.
5. Amanda McGrath (born 1973), an Australian actress and singer who has appeared in various television shows and stage productions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGrath

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

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

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

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