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

McTear, 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 McTear surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McTear in America

McTear is the 66164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McTear surname appeared 299 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 McTear.

We can also compare 2010 data for McTear 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 McTear

The surname MCTEAR originates from Scotland, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "tear" meaning "smooth hill" or "fertile land." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely inhabitants of or had close ties to a region characterized by gently rolling hills or arable land.

The name MCTEAR appears in various historical records, including the Scottish Clan and Family Records, which document its presence in the Highlands and Lowlands regions. One of the earliest known references is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded individuals swearing allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is also mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the 14th century.

In the 17th century, the MCTEAR name gained prominence with the birth of Robert MCTEAR (1610-1678), a notable Scottish landowner and merchant who played a significant role in the local economy of his region. His descendants continued to contribute to the cultural and economic fabric of Scotland in the following centuries.

Another noteworthy figure bearing the MCTEAR surname was Sir William MCTEAR (1788-1856), a prominent Scottish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1834 to 1835. He was recognized for his legal expertise and contributions to the Scottish legal system.

In the literary realm, the poet and playwright James MCTEAR (1820-1892) gained recognition for his works that captured the essence of Scottish life and culture. His collection of poems, "The Heather Bells of Scotland," published in 1865, remains a celebrated work among Scottish literary circles.

The MCTEAR name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Mctearville and Mctearton, which were likely derived from the surname or vice versa. These place names reflect the historical presence and influence of the MCTEAR family in certain regions of the country.

Throughout history, the MCTEAR surname has undergone various spellings, including McTeer, McTier, and McTeir, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects. However, the core elements of the name have remained intact, preserving its Scottish heritage and connection to the land.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McTear

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!