2000
#15,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,742
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Mcmorrow
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Murchaidh meaning "son of the mariner".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,066 Americans carry the last name Mcmorrow. That puts it at #15,607 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcmorrow 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 Mcmorrow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 165,902
Census rank
#15,607
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,802 bearers of the surname Mcmorrow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15607th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmorrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcmorrow
The surname McMorrow has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, tracing back to the early 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "morragh" meaning "mariner" or "seaman," indicating that the name likely originated from an ancestor who was a sailor or worked in maritime professions.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to 1296 in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of Scottish nobility and gentry who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Morough Mac Morough," an early spelling variation.
In the 14th century, the name was found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls, where it was recorded as "McMorraugh" and "McMurrauch," reflecting the evolution of the spelling over time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McMorrow family had a strong presence in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides Islands. Notable individuals from this period include Angus McMorrow (1570-1632), a renowned warrior who fought in the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594, and Duncan McMorrow (1620-1689), a respected clan chieftain and landowner in the Isle of Islay.
The McMorrow surname also appears in historical records related to the Scottish diaspora. In the 18th century, many McMorrows migrated to Ireland, particularly to the counties of Antrim and Down, where they established themselves as farmers and tradesmen. One notable figure from this period was Patrick McMorrow (1745-1820), a successful merchant in Belfast who played a role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
As the McMorrow family spread throughout the British Isles, the name underwent further variations in spelling, including McMurrow, McMurrough, and McMurray. In the 19th century, several McMorrows gained recognition, such as William McMorrow (1810-1892), a prominent author and journalist in Dublin, and Mary McMorrow (1832-1908), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Glasgow.
Throughout history, the McMorrow surname has been associated with a rich maritime heritage, as well as a strong presence in various professions and fields, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of this Scottish family.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcmorrow
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmorrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcmorrow 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 Mcmorrow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 1,703
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 39
- Two or more races1.9% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcmorrow
Mcmorrow 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
#15,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,833
+91 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 432 places
2020
#15,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,802
-31 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 264 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,439 | 1,742 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,871 | 1,833 | 0.62 | +91 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 432 places |
| 2020 | #15,607 | 1,802 | 0.60 | -31 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 264 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 Mcmorrow 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 | #15,871 | #15,607 | 1.7% |
| Count | 1,833 | 1,802 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.60 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcmorrow bearers went from 1,833 to 1,802 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 264 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,871 to #15,607.
FAQ
Mcmorrow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcmorrow?
Name Census estimates that about 2,066 living Americans carry the surname Mcmorrow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,902 residents.
How common is Mcmorrow?
Mcmorrow ranks #15,607 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,802 people with the surname Mcmorrow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcmorrow.
Has Mcmorrow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcmorrow went from 1,833 recorded bearers to 1,802. That is a decrease of 31 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,871 to #15,607.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcmorrow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcmorrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Mcmorrow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (1,703 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcmorrow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Mcmorrow (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 Mcmorrow mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Murchaidh meaning "son of the mariner". 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 Mcmorrow (0.60 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 Mcmorrow?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.