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

McKoy, 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 McKoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKoy in America

McKoy is the 4535th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKoy surname appeared 7,820 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname McKoy.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKoy 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 McKoy

The surname McKoy is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Aoidh, which means "son of Aodh" or "son of Hugh." The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1292, where a certain Duncan Makay is mentioned. The name also appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

The McKoy surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, such as McKay, Makay, and Makkay. These variations reflect the challenges of transliterating Gaelic names into written English and the influence of regional dialects.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the McKoy surname was Sir William McKoy, a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served under King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England). He played a crucial role in the negotiations leading to the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

Another prominent individual was Sir Donald McKoy (1591-1670), a Scottish nobleman and landowner in Argyll. He was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War and fought alongside the Marquis of Montrose.

In the 18th century, Sir James McKoy (1719-1797) was a Scottish-born merchant and landowner in the West Indies. He amassed a considerable fortune through his involvement in the sugar trade and owned plantations in Jamaica and Antigua.

One of the most famous bearers of the McKoy surname was James McKoy (1793-1853), a Scottish-American writer and explorer. He is best known for his travel narratives and accounts of his expeditions in the American West, including his book "Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California."

In the 19th century, Sir John McKoy (1831-1903) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in various commercial ventures, including the lumber industry and railway construction.

These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the McKoy surname throughout the centuries, spanning various regions, professions, and achievements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKoy

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

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

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

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