2000
#8,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,567
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Mcroberts
Son of Robert, an anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Roibeirt, meaning descendant of Robert.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,105 Americans carry the last name Mcroberts. That puts it at #8,787 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,497 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcroberts 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 Mcroberts with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,497
Census rank
#8,787
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,580 bearers of the surname Mcroberts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8787th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcroberts, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcroberts
The surname McRoberts originated in Scotland in the late 12th century. It is a variant of the name Robertson, which is derived from the Old English words "Rod" and "Bert," meaning "bright" and "fame," respectively. The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" in Scottish surnames signifies "son of."
McRoberts is believed to have been initially adopted by individuals who were descendants or followers of Robert the Bruce, the famous Scottish king who led the country's struggle for independence from England in the early 14th century. The name may have been given to those who pledged allegiance or provided support to the king during this tumultuous period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McRoberts can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named William McRobertson is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity and evolution of surnames during that era.
In the 16th century, the McRoberts clan was predominantly concentrated in the southwestern regions of Scotland, particularly in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. They were known as a prominent family among the Scottish nobility, with several members holding influential positions in the government and military.
Notable individuals with the surname McRoberts throughout history include:
1. Sir John McRoberts (c. 1480 - 1560), a Scottish nobleman and military leader who fought alongside King James V in the Anglo-Scottish Wars.
2. Margaret McRoberts (1610 - 1688), a Scottish woman accused of witchcraft during the infamous Salem Witch Trials in colonial Massachusetts.
3. Robert McRoberts (1725 - 1802), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who established several charitable foundations in Edinburgh.
4. James McRoberts (1829 - 1891), a Scottish-born explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in mapping the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
5. Archibald McRoberts (1875 - 1942), a Scottish-American inventor credited with developing the first practical self-winding wristwatch mechanism.
The McRoberts surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McRoberts Glen in Ayrshire and McRoberts Loch in Renfrewshire. These locations may have been named after prominent members of the clan or derived from the name itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcroberts
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcroberts, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcroberts 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 Mcroberts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 3,083
- Black or African American5.9% · 211
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 134
- Two or more races3.3% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcroberts
Mcroberts 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
#8,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,726
+159 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 287 places
2020
#8,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,580
-146 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,506 | 3,567 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,793 | 3,726 | 1.26 | +159 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 287 places |
| 2020 | #8,787 | 3,580 | 1.20 | -146 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 6 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 Mcroberts 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 | #8,793 | #8,787 | 0.1% |
| Count | 3,726 | 3,580 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.20 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcroberts bearers went from 3,726 to 3,580 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,793 to #8,787.
FAQ
Mcroberts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcroberts?
Name Census estimates that about 4,105 living Americans carry the surname Mcroberts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,497 residents.
How common is Mcroberts?
Mcroberts ranks #8,787 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 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 3,580 people with the surname Mcroberts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 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 Mcroberts.
Has Mcroberts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcroberts went from 3,726 recorded bearers to 3,580. That is a decrease of 146 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,793 to #8,787.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcroberts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcroberts, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Mcroberts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (3,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcroberts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Black (5.9%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Mcroberts (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 Mcroberts mean?
Son of Robert, an anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Mac Roibeirt, meaning descendant of Robert. 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 Mcroberts (1.20 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 common is the surname Mcroberts?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Mcroberts is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.