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

McQuarrie, 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 McQuarrie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McQuarrie in America

McQuarrie is the 27804th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McQuarrie surname appeared 864 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 McQuarrie.

We can also compare 2010 data for McQuarrie 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 McQuarrie

The surname McQuarrie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is a habitational name derived from the Gaelic Mac Uaraidh, meaning "son of the quarrier" or "son of the stone worker." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely employed in quarrying or working with stone.

The name is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll and the Hebrides, which were strongholds of the Clan MacQuarrie. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in the 14th and 15th centuries, with variations in spelling such as MacQuharrie, MacQuarie, and McQuarrie.

One notable historical reference to the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1480, which mention a John McQuarrie. Additionally, the Clan MacQuarrie is mentioned in the Baronage of Scotland, a historical record of Scottish feudal nobility, indicating their significance in the region.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Reginald MacQuarrie, who lived in the late 13th century and is considered the progenitor of the Clan MacQuarrie. Another notable figure was John MacQuarrie (c. 1510-1570), who served as the Bishop of Ross in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Clan MacQuarrie settled on the island of Ulva, off the west coast of Scotland. One prominent member of this branch was Lachlan McQuarrie (1693-1779), who served as a military leader and helped establish the settlement of Sydney, Australia.

The name McQuarrie has also been associated with place names such as Ulva and Oronsay, both islands in the Inner Hebrides. The name Oronsay is derived from the Old Norse name Örfirisey, meaning "tidal island," and was once a stronghold of the Clan MacQuarrie.

Other notable individuals with the surname McQuarrie include:

1. Archibald McQuarrie (1812-1897), a Scottish-born American merchant and philanthropist in San Francisco.
2. John McQuarrie (1856-1909), a Scottish-American painter and illustrator known for his depictions of Native American life.
3. Ralph McQuarrie (1929-2012), an American conceptual designer and illustrator who worked on films such as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
4. Kathleen McQuarrie (1857-1917), a Scottish suffragist and activist for women's rights.
5. Iain McQuarrie (born 1953), a Scottish professional golfer who played on the European Tour.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McQuarrie

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

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

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

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