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

Moncrief, 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 Moncrief surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Moncrief in America

Moncrief is the 7171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Moncrief surname appeared 4,665 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Moncrief.

We can also compare 2010 data for Moncrief 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 Moncrief

The surname Moncrief has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "mont" meaning hill or mountain, and "crief" meaning rocky outcrop or crag. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Moncrefe, which appeared in the charters of the Dumfriesshire region of Scotland around 1170.

One of the earliest documented references to the Moncrief name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish landowners and nobility who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as Moncreffe, indicating the family's landholdings in the area.

In the 16th century, the Moncrief family established themselves as a prominent clan in the Scottish Lowlands. Sir John Moncrief, born in 1520, was a respected lawyer and statesman who served as Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland from 1567 to 1591.

The Moncrief name is also associated with the historic Moncrieffe House, a 16th-century tower house located near Perth, Scotland. This estate was the ancestral home of the Moncrieff clan for several centuries and played a significant role in local history.

Notable individuals bearing the Moncrief surname include Sir Henry Moncrieffe Wellwood, born in 1825, who was a Scottish politician and Lord-Lieutenant of Kinross-shire. Another prominent figure was Sir Alexander Moncrieffe, born in 1767, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was knighted for his service.

In the literary world, David Moncrieffe, born in 1762, was a Scottish poet and journalist who wrote for various publications in Edinburgh during the late 18th century. His works provided insights into the cultural and social landscapes of that era.

Throughout history, the Moncrief surname has undergone various spellings, including Moncreiffe, Moncrieff, and Moncrieffe, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in Scotland. Despite these differences, the essence of the name and its Scottish heritage remains intact.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Moncrief

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Moncrief, 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!