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

Munroe, 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 Munroe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Munroe in America

Munroe is the 5583rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Munroe surname appeared 6,226 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 Munroe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Munroe 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 Munroe

The surname MUNROE is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words 'mun' meaning 'hill' or 'mountain' and 'rath' meaning 'fort' or 'stronghold'. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a fortified hill or mountain.

The name was first recorded in the late 12th century in the Scottish county of Ayrshire, where it appeared as 'Monrui' and 'Munrou'. By the 13th century, variations such as 'Munro' and 'Monro' were common in the same region. The earliest known bearer of the name was Sir Donald Monro, who was granted lands in Ross-shire by King Alexander II in the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the MUNROE name appeared in several historical records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Ragman Rolls, which documented Scottish nobles who swore fealty to Edward I of England. Notable figures from this period include Sir Reginald Munro, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MUNROE name was well-established in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the counties of Ross-shire and Sutherland. Several prominent members of the clan included Sir Robert Munro, 18th Baron of Foulis (1542-1633), a renowned military leader who fought in the Thirty Years' War, and Sir George Munro (1610-1698), a general in the Swedish army during the same conflict.

In the 18th century, the MUNROE name gained wider recognition through the exploits of Sir Hector Munro (1726-1805), a Scottish soldier and commander who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Munro (1761-1827), a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of Madras and played a significant role in the expansion of British rule in India.

Throughout history, the MUNROE surname has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Munro's Hill in Aberdeenshire and Munro's Acre in Inverness-shire. These toponyms reflect the clan's historical ties to specific regions and territories within the Scottish Highlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Munroe

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

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

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

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