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

McPhatter, 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 McPhatter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McPhatter in America

McPhatter is the 25535th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McPhatter surname appeared 967 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McPhatter.

We can also compare 2010 data for McPhatter 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 McPhatter

The surname MCPHATTER is of Scottish origin, originating in the Highlands region of Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "phater" which translates to "shepherd" or "herdsman." The name likely emerged as a descriptive term for a person whose occupation or livelihood was tending to sheep or cattle in the rugged Scottish Highlands.

Variations of the spelling include MCFATTER, MCFATER, and MCPHATTOR, reflecting the phonetic translation from Gaelic to English. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1384, where a John McPhatter is mentioned as a resident of Inverness-shire.

In the 16th century, the name is found in the Parish Registers of Killin, Perthshire, where several MCPHATTER families were recorded as landholders and farmers in the region. One notable figure from this time period was Angus MCPHATTER (c. 1530-1598), a renowned cattle breeder and drover who established trade routes for his herds through the Highlands.

During the 17th century, the MCPHATTER name spread to other parts of Scotland, including the Lowlands and the Borders region. In 1643, a Robert MCPHATTER is documented as a signatory on the Solemn League and Covenant, a historic agreement between Scotland and England during the English Civil War.

The 18th century saw the MCPHATTER name appear in various historical records, including the Old Parish Registers of Argyll and Bute, where several families were recorded in the communities of Kilmichael Glassary and Lochgoilhead. A notable figure from this time was Duncan MCPHATTER (1712-1786), a respected elder of the Church of Scotland and landowner in Cowal.

In the 19th century, the MCPHATTER name continued to be found throughout Scotland, with many families migrating to urban centers like Glasgow and Edinburgh. One prominent individual was James MCPHATTER (1828-1901), a successful merchant and philanthropist who founded the MCPHATTER Orphanage in Glasgow, which provided shelter and education for underprivileged children.

Throughout its history, the MCPHATTER surname has been associated with the rugged landscapes and pastoral traditions of the Scottish Highlands, reflecting the name's origins as a descriptor of those who tended to the region's livestock and herds.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McPhatter

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

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

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

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