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

McGraw, 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 McGraw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGraw in America

McGraw is the 1668th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGraw surname appeared 21,614 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname McGraw.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGraw 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 McGraw

The surname McGraw has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic surname 'Mag Raith,' which translates to 'son of prosperity' or 'son of grace.' This name was originally a personal name before becoming a hereditary surname.

The name McGraw is closely associated with County Donegal in Ulster, particularly in the areas around Raphoe and Innishowen. Some historians suggest that the name may have originated from the village of Raith, which is located near the town of Raphoe. In ancient Irish records, the name is often spelled as 'Mag Raith,' 'MacRath,' or 'MacGrath.'

One of the earliest known historical references to the McGraw surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1175, a man named Donnchadh Mag Raith is mentioned as the Lord of Innishowen, a peninsula in County Donegal.

In the 16th century, the McGraw family was prominent in the Raphoe area, with several members holding important positions in the Church. One notable figure was Patrick McGrath, who served as the Bishop of Raphoe from 1566 to 1572. Another prominent individual was Miler McGrath, who was the Archbishop of Cashel from 1573 to 1585.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century, many McGraw families were displaced from their ancestral lands in Donegal. Some members of the clan settled in other parts of Ireland, while others emigrated to Scotland, England, and eventually to the American colonies.

One of the earliest recorded McGraws in America was John McGraw, who was born in County Donegal in 1679 and arrived in Pennsylvania in 1718. He is believed to be the progenitor of many McGraw families in the United States.

Other notable individuals with the McGraw surname include:

1. John McGraw (1873-1934), an American baseball player and manager who led the New York Giants to ten National League pennants and three World Series championships.

2. Thomas McGraw (1847-1920), an American businessman and co-founder of the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.

3. Phillip McGraw (born 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, an American television personality, author, and former psychologist.

4. Tim McGraw (born 1967), an American country singer and actor who has released 16 studio albums and has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards.

5. Max McGraw (1899-1983), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the McGraw Foundation, which supported various educational and medical initiatives.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGraw

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

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

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

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