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

McGrew, 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 McGrew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGrew in America

McGrew is the 3786th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGrew surname appeared 9,354 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname McGrew.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGrew 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 McGrew

The surname McGrew has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged around the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "mac a' ghriogair," which translates to "son of the brewer" or "son of the grayish-haired one." This suggests that the name was likely given as a descriptive surname to someone who worked as a brewer or had grayish-colored hair.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Scottish records and charters. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John McGrew, who is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1471. Another notable early bearer was Robert McGrew, who was a burgess (a citizen of a town or borough) in Glasgow in 1546.

As the McGrew family spread throughout Scotland, the name took on various spellings, such as McGrigor, McGruer, and McGruire. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that period.

In the 17th century, the name McGrew began to appear in Irish records, suggesting that some members of the family had migrated from Scotland to Ireland during that time. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in Ireland was Patrick McGrew, who was born in County Donegal in 1638.

Notable individuals with the surname McGrew throughout history include:

1. William McGrew (1748-1832), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
2. James McGrew (1762-1830), an American politician and jurist who served as a judge in Kentucky.
3. John McGrew (1807-1879), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
4. Thomas McGrew (1884-1968), an American geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossil mammals.
5. Anita McGrew (1925-2017), an American author and educator who wrote several books on early childhood education.

As the McGrew family continued to spread throughout the world, the name could be found in various regions, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. While the origins of the name can be traced back to Scotland, its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields across multiple continents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGrew

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

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

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

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