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

McIntire, 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 McIntire surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McIntire in America

McIntire is the 3380th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McIntire surname appeared 10,566 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname McIntire.

We can also compare 2010 data for McIntire 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 McIntire

The surname McIntire has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged as a variant spelling of the name McIntyre or MacIntyre. This Gaelic name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "mac an t-saoir," which translate to "son of the carpenter."

In the 13th century, the name McIntire was found primarily in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. Early records show various spellings, including McYntyr, McKyntyr, and McEntre.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mentions a "Gillecrist Maccaindsycyr." This suggests that the McIntire surname was well-established in Scotland by the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the McIntires were prominently associated with the Clan Donald, one of the largest and most powerful clans in the Scottish Highlands. Sir John McIntire (c. 1548-1623), a renowned Scottish soldier and clan chief, fought alongside the Earl of Argyll during the Scottish Reformation.

Another notable McIntire was Duncan McIntire (1722-1788), a Scottish-born merchant and shipbuilder who settled in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the American colonies. He became a prominent figure in the local shipbuilding industry and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the McIntire surname gained recognition through the works of Samuel McIntire (1757-1811), an American architect and woodcarver from Salem, Massachusetts. He is regarded as one of the most celebrated architects of the Federal style and designed numerous buildings, including the Peirce-Nichols House and the Salem Athenaeum.

Another notable figure was William McIntire (1839-1908), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Jonesborough in 1864.

As the McIntire family spread across the world, the surname underwent various spellings, including McInteire, McInteyre, and McIntyre. However, the origins of this name can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands, where it derived from the Gaelic term for "son of the carpenter."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McIntire

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!