2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mcgurr
Irish Gaelic surname representing a branch of the O'Murchadha family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Mcgurr. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcgurr 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.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Mcgurr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgurr, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcgurr
The surname MCGURR is of Irish origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 16th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "mac" and "guaire," which translate to "son of the noble one."
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 16th century in County Mayo, Ireland. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Seamus MCGURR, who was born in 1585 in the town of Westport. He was a prominent landowner and chieftain in the region.
In the 17th century, the MCGURR name began to spread to other parts of Ireland, particularly in counties such as Galway and Roscommon. During this time, the name was also sometimes spelled as "McGurr" or "McGurre."
One notable figure from this period was Cormac MCGURR, born in 1632 in County Galway. He was a renowned scholar and poet, known for his contributions to Irish literature and language preservation.
The 18th century saw the MCGURR name appearing in historical records and documents, such as parish registers and land deeds. In 1745, a man named Tadhg MCGURR was recorded as owning a significant tract of land in County Mayo, indicating the family's continued prominence in the region.
In the 19th century, the MCGURR name became more widespread across Ireland, and some members of the family emigrated to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. One notable individual from this era was Máire MCGURR, born in 1857 in County Mayo. She was a celebrated traditional Irish singer and storyteller, renowned for preserving and promoting Irish cultural heritage.
Another prominent figure was Patrick MCGURR, born in 1875 in County Roscommon. He was a renowned Irish scholar and historian, known for his extensive research on Irish history and folklore.
As the MCGURR name spread throughout the world, it continued to be associated with various historical figures and events, cementing its place in the annals of Irish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcgurr
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgurr, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcgurr 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 Mcgurr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcgurr
Mcgurr appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 2,642 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 Mcgurr 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 | #152,628 | #155,270 | -1.7% |
| Count | 107 | 101 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcgurr bearers went from 107 to 101 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 2,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #155,270.
FAQ
Mcgurr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcgurr?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Mcgurr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Mcgurr?
Mcgurr ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Mcgurr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Mcgurr.
Has Mcgurr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcgurr went from 107 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcgurr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcgurr, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Mcgurr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcgurr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (9.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Mcgurr (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 Mcgurr mean?
Irish Gaelic surname representing a branch of the O'Murchadha family. 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 Mcgurr (0.03 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 Mcgurr?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.