NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgraw

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the brave" or "son of the hero."

In the 1881 census there were 671 people recorded with the Mcgraw surname, ranking it #5,378 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 809, ranked #6,850, down from #5,378 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Bothwell and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Viewpark, Auchterarder and Holytown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgraw is 815 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.6%.

1881 census count

671

Ranked #5,378

Modern count

809

2016, ranked #6,850

Peak year

2000

815 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgraw had 671 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,378 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 809 in 2016, ranked #6,850.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 722 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcgraw surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcgraw surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcgraw surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgraw over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 247 #8,868
1861 historical 348 #7,339
1881 historical 671 #5,378
1891 historical 627 #6,172
1901 historical 722 #6,124
1911 historical 191 #15,392
1997 modern 705 #7,207
1998 modern 779 #6,905
1999 modern 789 #6,872
2000 modern 815 #6,682
2001 modern 787 #6,733
2002 modern 782 #6,904
2003 modern 784 #6,764
2004 modern 791 #6,740
2005 modern 788 #6,681
2006 modern 773 #6,822
2007 modern 787 #6,779
2008 modern 808 #6,693
2009 modern 804 #6,858
2010 modern 814 #6,921
2011 modern 806 #6,895
2012 modern 794 #6,874
2013 modern 808 #6,892
2014 modern 809 #6,925
2015 modern 808 #6,870
2016 modern 809 #6,850

Geography

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Where Mcgraws are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Bothwell, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Viewpark, Auchterarder, Holytown and Stoke-on-Trent. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Bothwell Lanark
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Viewpark North Lanarkshire
2 Auchterarder Perth and Kinross
3 Holytown North Lanarkshire
4 Stoke-on-Trent 022 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Stoke-on-Trent 025 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgraw

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcgraw surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgraw

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcgraw, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mcgraw surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcgraw household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mcgraw is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcgraw is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcgraw falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcgraw is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcgraw, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcgraw

The surname McGraw has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic surname 'Mag Raith,' which translates to 'son of prosperity' or 'son of grace.' This name was originally a personal name before becoming a hereditary surname.

The name McGraw is closely associated with County Donegal in Ulster, particularly in the areas around Raphoe and Innishowen. Some historians suggest that the name may have originated from the village of Raith, which is located near the town of Raphoe. In ancient Irish records, the name is often spelled as 'Mag Raith,' 'MacRath,' or 'MacGrath.'

One of the earliest known historical references to the McGraw surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1175, a man named Donnchadh Mag Raith is mentioned as the Lord of Innishowen, a peninsula in County Donegal.

In the 16th century, the McGraw family was prominent in the Raphoe area, with several members holding important positions in the Church. One notable figure was Patrick McGrath, who served as the Bishop of Raphoe from 1566 to 1572. Another prominent individual was Miler McGrath, who was the Archbishop of Cashel from 1573 to 1585.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century, many McGraw families were displaced from their ancestral lands in Donegal. Some members of the clan settled in other parts of Ireland, while others emigrated to Scotland, England, and eventually to the American colonies.

One of the earliest recorded McGraws in America was John McGraw, who was born in County Donegal in 1679 and arrived in Pennsylvania in 1718. He is believed to be the progenitor of many McGraw families in the United States.

Other notable individuals with the McGraw surname include:

1. John McGraw (1873-1934), an American baseball player and manager who led the New York Giants to ten National League pennants and three World Series championships.

2. Thomas McGraw (1847-1920), an American businessman and co-founder of the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.

3. Phillip McGraw (born 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, an American television personality, author, and former psychologist.

4. Tim McGraw (born 1967), an American country singer and actor who has released 16 studio albums and has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards.

5. Max McGraw (1899-1983), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the McGraw Foundation, which supported various educational and medical initiatives.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgraw families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgraw surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 9 Mcgraws recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.70x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 9 3.70x
Dumfriesshire 4 88.50x
Midlothian 3 10.94x
Cheshire 2 4.42x
Middlesex 2 0.98x
Durham 1 1.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 7 Mcgraws recorded in 1881 and an index of 90.44x.

Place Total Index
Everton 7 90.44x
Dryfesdale 4 1904.76x
Edinburgh St Andrews 3 1304.35x
Liscard 2 246.91x
Hackney London 1 8.71x
Harton 1 416.67x
Moss Side 1 78.13x
St Pancras London 1 6.07x
Toxteth Park 1 12.15x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mcgraw surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Jessie 2
Mary 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Caroline 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mcgraw surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Andrew 1
Frederick 1
John 1
Micheal 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mcgraw households.

FAQ

Mcgraw surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgraw surname in 1881?

In 1881, 671 people were recorded with the Mcgraw surname. That placed it at #5,378 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgraw surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 809 in 2016. That gives Mcgraw a modern rank of #6,850.

What does the Mcgraw surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the brave" or "son of the hero."

What does the Mcgraw map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcgraw bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.