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

McQuaid, 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 McQuaid surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McQuaid in America

McQuaid is the 12362nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McQuaid surname appeared 2,515 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McQuaid.

We can also compare 2010 data for McQuaid 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 McQuaid

The surname McQuaid is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Cuade," meaning "descendant of Cuad." The name is thought to have originated in the late 12th century in County Fermanagh, located in the province of Ulster, Northern Ireland.

McQuaid is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Cuaid," with the prefix "Mac" meaning "son of." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions several individuals with the name in the 13th and 14th centuries.

In medieval Ireland, the McQuaid family held lands and wielded influence in County Fermanagh. Historical records show that a branch of the family settled in the Barony of Trough, where they were known as the "McQuaid of Trough."

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Aodh Ó Cuaid, a 14th-century Irish chieftain who ruled over parts of County Fermanagh. He is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster as having participated in various battles and conflicts during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was Pádraig Mac Cuaid, a 16th-century Irish scholar and historian who authored several works on Irish history and genealogy. He is credited with recording valuable information about the McQuaid family's ancestry and lineage.

In the 17th century, Fergus McQuaid, a member of the Irish Catholic gentry, was granted lands in County Fermanagh by King Charles I. However, he lost these lands during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 1650s.

During the 18th century, several McQuaid families emigrated from Ireland to North America, seeking better opportunities and escaping religious persecution. One notable individual from this period was John McQuaid (1732-1807), an Irish-born American patriot who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, Patrick McQuaid (1818-1892) was a prominent Irish Catholic priest who served as the Archbishop of Dublin from 1858 until his death. He was known for his strong advocacy of Catholic education and his opposition to the growing influence of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland.

While the McQuaid surname is relatively uncommon globally, it remains well-represented in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Fermanagh, Donegal, and Tyrone, where the family's roots can be traced back centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McQuaid

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

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

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

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