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

McQuay, 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 McQuay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McQuay in America

McQuay is the 15903rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McQuay surname appeared 1,828 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 McQuay.

We can also compare 2010 data for McQuay 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 McQuay

The surname McQuay originates from the Scottish Highlands in the 13th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic surname MacCuaigh, which means "son of the modest or retiring one." This name is believed to have been derived from the Gaelic word "cuaigh," meaning "modest" or "retiring."

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls from the late 13th and early 14th centuries. These rolls contain references to individuals with the surname spelled as "MacCuaigh" and "MacCuathe." The name was commonly found in the areas of Argyll and the Hebrides Islands.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Alasdair MacCuaigh, a Scottish warrior who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another notable figure was Angus MacCuaigh, a 15th-century Scottish cleric who served as the Bishop of the Isles from 1472 to 1498.

The name underwent various spelling variations over time, including MacQuay, McQuay, and McQuaie. In the 16th century, the spelling "McQuay" became more prevalent, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides.

In the 17th century, the McQuay family established themselves as influential landowners in the Scottish Highlands. John McQuay (1620-1685) was a prominent figure who owned extensive lands in Argyll and played a significant role in the local community.

Another notable bearer of the name was Iain McQuay (1735-1812), a Scottish poet and bard from the Isle of Islay. His works were celebrated for their vivid depictions of life in the Hebrides Islands and are considered an important part of Scottish literary heritage.

During the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries, many McQuay families were forced to emigrate from Scotland to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. This diaspora helped spread the name to different continents and contributed to its global distribution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McQuay

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

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

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

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