Explore the Family Name Mcarthur

The meaning of Mcarthur

Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Artair, ‘son of Arthur’ (see Arthur). History: Clan Arthur is a Highland Scottish clan traditionally associated with lands on the northern shores of Loch Awe. In 1427 the chief of the clan was one of several Highland chiefs executed for treason by King James I; it is said that the clan never recovered. As a matter of fact, there were several different Highland families and septs of other clans bearing the name Mac Artair.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Mcarthur in the United States?

The surname McArthur, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, was ranked 2,721 in popularity during the year 2000 and dropped slightly to rank 2,844 by 2010. This represents a decline of 4.52% over this decade. However, the actual count of people with the McArthur surname increased during this period, from 12,152 in 2000 to 12,683 in 2010, a growth of 4.37%. The proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people also experienced a slight decrease from 4.5 to 4.3, indicating a minor drop in its relative popularity.

20002010Change
Rank#2,721#2,844-4.52%
Count12,15212,6834.37%
Proportion per 100k4.54.3-4.44%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mcarthur

Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the McArthur surname according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of individuals identify as White, although this has seen a decrease from 77.71% in 2000 to 75.35% in 2010. The next largest group identifies as Black, which saw a slight increase from 17.31% to 17.59%. The fastest growing ethnic groups within those bearing the McArthur surname are those who identify as Hispanic, seeing a significant growth from 1.70% in 2000 to 3.01% in 2010 and those identifying with two or more races, increasing from 1.79% in 2000 to 2.52% in 2010. The percentages of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable during this period.

20002010Change
White77.71%75.35%-3.04%
Black17.31%17.59%1.62%
Hispanic1.7%3.01%77.06%
Two or More Races1.79%2.52%40.78%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1%1.01%1%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.5%0.52%4%

Mcarthur ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Mcarthur is British & Irish, which comprises 57.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.4%) and Scandinavian (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish57.8%
French & German19.4%
Scandinavian4.4%
Other18.3%
Mcarthur

Possible origins of the surname Mcarthur

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Mcarthur have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom90.00%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom89.70%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom89.70%
Merseyside, United Kingdom89.40%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom89.10%

What Mcarthur haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Mcarthur is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS4179 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Macarthur, Moon, Cameron, Maxwell, Prince, Squires, Mccarthy, Gee, Mcgowan, Mcdonnell.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mcarthur surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

mcarthurPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Mcarthur have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Mcarthur

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Mcarthur" Surname 43.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Mcarthur

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Mcarthur" Surname 27.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Mcarthur

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Mcarthur" Surname 19.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Mcarthur

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Mcarthur" Surname 20.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Mcarthur?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Mcarthur are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%