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

McGreevy, 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 McGreevy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGreevy in America

McGreevy is the 13427th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGreevy surname appeared 2,270 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McGreevy.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGreevy 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 McGreevy

The surname McGreevy originated in Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic personal name Grí-ḟa, which means "griffin valor." It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Mac Ghriogóra.

The McGreevy family name is believed to have been first established in County Fermanagh, Ulster Province, in the northern part of Ireland. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century in this region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Tadhg McGreevy, who was born around 1550 in County Fermanagh. He was a prominent landowner and chieftain of the McGreevy clan during the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the McGreevy name appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Civil Survey of County Fermanagh, which documented landholdings and property ownership in the area.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the McGreevy family continued to play a significant role in the history of County Fermanagh and the surrounding regions. Notable individuals from this time period include:

1. Patrick McGreevy (1720-1798), a wealthy landowner and member of the Irish Parliament.
2. Edmond McGreevy (1765-1842), a prominent Catholic priest and educator.
3. John McGreevy (1812-1890), a successful businessman and philanthropist in County Fermanagh.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many McGreevy families emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. Some notable individuals from this era include:

1. Thomas McGreevy (1868-1939), a Canadian politician and businessman from Quebec.
2. Mary McGreevy (1872-1955), an Irish-American author and journalist born in County Fermanagh.

Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the McGreevy surname have emerged, such as McGrivy, McGrivey, and McGreevey. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Irish Gaelic tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGreevy

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

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

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

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