2000
#35,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 589
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Mcguffie
A Scottish surname thought to derive from the Gaelic "Mac Duibhshithe" meaning "son of the dun-colored one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 680 Americans carry the last name Mcguffie. That puts it at #39,947 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 504,050 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcguffie surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcguffie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
680
1 in 504,050
Census rank
#39,947
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
593
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 593 bearers of the surname Mcguffie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39947th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcguffie
The surname MCGUFFIE is of Scottish origin, originating in the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhuibhshíthe," meaning "son of the dark one" or "son of the swarthy man." This suggests that the name may have been initially a descriptive nickname referring to a person's physical appearance.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the late 15th century, where it appeared as "McGuffok" in the Rental Book of Cupar-Angus in 1473. Other early variants include "McGuffog," "McGuffock," and "McGuffie." These variations likely stem from the name's transition from Gaelic to English and the challenges of transliterating the Gaelic spelling.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John McGuffie, who was mentioned in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1501. Another early reference is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a Robert McGuffok is listed in 1531.
The name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John McGuffie (1551-1634), a Scottish landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament. In the 18th century, Alexander McGuffie (1746-1828) was a prominent Scottish minister and author.
During the 19th century, several McGuffies made significant contributions. James McGuffie (1811-1890) was a Scottish journalist and editor, while John McGuffie (1827-1905) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
In more recent times, Alistair McGuffie (1920-2002) was a Scottish actor and writer known for his roles in films and television shows. His cousin, Ian McGuffie (1924-2018), was a Scottish footballer who played for several clubs, including Falkirk and Dunfermline Athletic.
While the name MCGUFFIE is not among the most common Scottish surnames, it has a rich history dating back to the late medieval period and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcguffie
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcguffie bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcguffie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.1% · 374
- Black or African American30.5% · 181
- Two or more races3.5% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcguffie
Mcguffie appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#38,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 581
-8 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 2,161 places
2020
#39,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 593
+12 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 1,792 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,994 | 589 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #38,155 | 581 | 0.20 | -8 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 2,161 places |
| 2020 | #39,947 | 593 | 0.20 | +12 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 1,792 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcguffie surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #38,155 | #39,947 | -4.7% |
| Count | 581 | 593 | 2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.20 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcguffie bearers went from 581 to 593 (+2.1% change). The surname moved down 1,792 positions in the national ranking, going from #38,155 to #39,947.
FAQ
Mcguffie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcguffie?
Name Census estimates that about 680 living Americans carry the surname Mcguffie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 504,050 residents.
How common is Mcguffie?
Mcguffie ranks #39,947 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 593 people with the surname Mcguffie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (680), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mcguffie.
Has Mcguffie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcguffie went from 581 recorded bearers to 593. That is an increase of 12 (+2.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #38,155 to #39,947.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcguffie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguffie, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (30.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcguffie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.1% (374 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcguffie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.1%), Black (30.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcguffie (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcguffie mean?
A Scottish surname thought to derive from the Gaelic "Mac Duibhshithe" meaning "son of the dun-colored one". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcguffie (0.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Mcguffie?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.