2000
#482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 62,116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 23.03
Uncommon Last name
Mcguire
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mag Uidhir," meaning "son of the pale-colored one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 70,813 Americans carry the last name Mcguire. That puts it at #534 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 20.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,840 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcguire 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 Mcguire with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
71K
1 in 4,840
Census rank
#534
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
20.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
62K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 61,752 bearers of the surname Mcguire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 20.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 534th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguire, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcguire
The surname McGuire is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic surname "Mag Uidhir" or "Mac Uidhir," meaning "son of Odhar" or "son of the dun-colored one." This name first appeared in County Fermanagh, Ulster, in the northern part of Ireland, as early as the 10th century.
In Irish tradition, the name McGuire was associated with the Clan Uidhir, a prominent Ulster family who held lands and territories in Fermanagh. The McGuires were renowned for their military prowess and played a significant role in the many conflicts that took place in Ulster during the medieval and early modern periods.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name McGuire can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In 1256, the Annals mention "Aedh Mac Uidhir," which is believed to be one of the first documented instances of the surname.
Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone various spellings, including MacGuire, Maguire, and McGuyre, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times. Additionally, the name is sometimes associated with places like Enniskillen and Fermanagh, where the Clan Uidhir held significant influence.
Notable individuals with the surname McGuire include:
1. Thomas McGuire (1892-1923), an American World War I fighter pilot and one of the highest-scoring American aces of the war.
2. Butterfly McQueen (1911-1995), an American actress best known for her role as Prissy in the film "Gone with the Wind."
3. Paul McGuire (1904-1993), an American actor and singer who appeared in numerous films and television shows.
4. Dominick McGuire (1835-1923), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Glasgow from 1892 to 1923.
5. Philip McGuire (1890-1952), an American actor known for his roles in films like "The Wizard of Oz" and "It Happened One Night."
The surname McGuire has a rich history rooted in the ancient Irish clans and has maintained its presence throughout the centuries, spanning various regions and fields of influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcguire
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguire, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcguire 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 Mcguire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 52,419
- Black or African American6.4% · 3,942
- Two or more races3.9% · 2,412
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 2,198
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 479
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 302
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcguire
Mcguire 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
#521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 64,327
+2,211 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 21.81
Rank movement Down 39 places
2020
#534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,752
-2,575 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 20.66
Rank movement Down 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #482 | 62,116 | 23.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #521 | 64,327 | 21.81 | +2,211 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 39 places |
| 2020 | #534 | 61,752 | 20.66 | -2,575 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 13 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 Mcguire 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 | #521 | #534 | -2.5% |
| Count | 64,327 | 61,752 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 21.81 | 20.66 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcguire bearers went from 64,327 to 61,752 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #521 to #534.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcguire
FAQ
Mcguire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcguire?
Name Census estimates that about 70,813 living Americans carry the surname Mcguire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,840 residents.
How common is Mcguire?
Mcguire ranks #534 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 20.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 21 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 61,752 people with the surname Mcguire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (70,813), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 20.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 20.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 21 of them to have the surname Mcguire.
Has Mcguire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcguire went from 64,327 recorded bearers to 61,752. That is a decrease of 2,575 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #521 to #534.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcguire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcguire, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mcguire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (52,419 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcguire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (6.4%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Mcguire (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 Mcguire mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mag Uidhir," meaning "son of the pale-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 Mcguire (20.66 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 Americans have the surname Mcguire?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.