2000
#943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,031
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.62
Uncommon Last name
Mcgrath
A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of Grath" or "son of the nobleman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 38,543 Americans carry the last name Mcgrath. That puts it at #1,019 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,893 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgrath 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 Mcgrath with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
39K
1 in 8,893
Census rank
#1,019
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
34K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,611 bearers of the surname Mcgrath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1019th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgrath
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgrath 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 Mcgrath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 30,805
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 1,230
- Two or more races2.7% · 894
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 303
- Black or African American0.8% · 270
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 109
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgrath
Mcgrath 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
#1,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,871
+840 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 11.82
Rank movement Down 63 places
2020
#1,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,611
-1,260 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 11.24
Rank movement Down 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #943 | 34,031 | 12.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,006 | 34,871 | 11.82 | +840 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 63 places |
| 2020 | #1,019 | 33,611 | 11.24 | -1,260 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 13 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 Mcgrath 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 | #1,006 | #1,019 | -1.3% |
| Count | 34,871 | 33,611 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 11.82 | 11.24 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgrath bearers went from 34,871 to 33,611 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,006 to #1,019.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcgrath
FAQ
Mcgrath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgrath?
Name Census estimates that about 38,543 living Americans carry the surname Mcgrath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,893 residents.
How common is Mcgrath?
Mcgrath ranks #1,019 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,611 people with the surname Mcgrath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (38,543), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Mcgrath.
Has Mcgrath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgrath went from 34,871 recorded bearers to 33,611. That is a decrease of 1,260 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,006 to #1,019.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgrath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Mcgrath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (30,805 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgrath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Mcgrath (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 Mcgrath mean?
A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of Grath" or "son of the nobleman." 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 Mcgrath (11.24 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 Americans have the surname Mcgrath?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.