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

McGregor, 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 McGregor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGregor in America

McGregor is the 113791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGregor surname appeared 154 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McGregor.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGregor 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 McGregor

The surname McGreggor has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "greagair," which means "watchful" or "vigilant." This suggests that the name may have originally belonged to a person who served as a guardian or watchman.

The McGreggor clan was prominent in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. The clan's ancestral lands were centered around Loch Lomond and the surrounding areas. In the 16th century, the McGreggor clan was involved in a long-standing feud with the Campbells, another powerful Highland clan.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from the 13th and 14th centuries. The name appears as "Gregorius McGregor" in a document dated 1296. Another early mention is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1502, where the name is spelled "McGregour."

Notable historical figures with the surname McGreggor include:

1. Gregor MacGregor (c. 1786-1845), a Scottish adventurer and soldier who briefly proclaimed himself as the "Cazique of Poyais" in Central America.
2. Sir Evan John Murray MacGregor (1828-1892), a Scottish colonial administrator who served as the Governor of British New Guinea.
3. Alasdair Alpin MacGregor (1899-1970), a Scottish author and historian who wrote extensively on the history of the Highland clans.
4. Malise Rugue MacGregor (fl. 1390s), a Scottish warrior known for his involvement in the Battle of Glenfruin in 1603, a significant conflict between the MacGregors and the Colquhouns.
5. Gregor MacGregor of Glengyle (c. 1619-1689), a prominent figure in the Jacobite risings in Scotland, who fought for the restoration of the Stuart monarchy.

The surname McGreggor has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Glenorchy, which was formerly known as "Glenurchy" or "Glen Urchy," derived from the Gaelic words meaning "the glen of the MacGregors."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGregor

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

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

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

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