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

McGrier, 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 McGrier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGrier in America

McGrier is the 78040th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGrier surname appeared 245 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 McGrier.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGrier 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 McGrier

The surname MCGRIER has its roots in Scotland, originating in the Highlands region during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic personal name "Griogair," which was a variant of the Greek name "Gregory," meaning "watchful" or "vigilant."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 15th century, when a man named John McGrier was mentioned in the records of the Diocese of Brechin in Angus, Scotland, in 1458. The name was sometimes spelled as "McGriar" or "McGryer" in these early records.

In the 16th century, the McGriers were prominent landowners in the county of Inverness-shire, with their ancestral lands located near the village of Drumnadrochit. A notable figure from this era was Alasdair McGrier, who fought alongside the Clan Fraser during the Battle of Lochlochy in 1544 against the Clan Ranald.

During the 17th century, the name appeared in various documents, including the Retours of Service, which recorded landholdings and inheritances. In 1623, a William McGrier was listed as the heir to lands in the parish of Kilmorack, near Loch Ness.

One of the most famous individuals bearing the McGrier surname was Sir Robert McGrier (1728-1798), a Scottish politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for the Inverness Burghs constituency from 1768 to 1790 and was known for his support of the American Revolution.

Another notable McGrier was James McGrier (1801-1879), a Scottish architect and surveyor. He designed several prominent buildings in Glasgow, including the Glasgow City Chambers and the Western Club.

In the 19th century, the McGriers continued to be influential in Scotland, with many members of the family serving in various professions, such as law, medicine, and the military. One example is Colonel John McGrier (1815-1887), who served in the British Army and fought in the Crimean War.

As the centuries passed, some bearers of the McGrier name emigrated to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, where they continued to contribute to the cultural and historical fabric of their adopted countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGrier

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

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

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

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