Explore the Family Name Mccoy
The meaning of Mccoy
Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Aoidh ‘son of Aodh’, an old personal name meaning ‘fire’, originally the name of a pagan god. Thus it has the same origin as McGee, McKay, and McKee. It has sometimes been Anglicized as Hughes. History: The McCoy clan of KY, led by Randolph McCoy, was involved in one of the bitterest mountain feuds, with the Hatfield clan of WV, from the Civil War to the end of the 19th century. The expression ‘the real McCoy’ probably originated with an American boxer, Norman Selby (1873–1940), who adopted the name “Kid McCoy” to distinguish himself from another fighter of the same name.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mccoy in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Mccoy has seen a subtle shift in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Mccoy was ranked as the 258th most common surname, but by 2010 it had dropped slightly to the 278th position. This represents a decline of 7.75%. Nonetheless, the total count of individuals with the Mccoy surname increased from 106,481 in 2000 to 110,744 in 2010, a growth rate of 4.0%. However, the proportion per 100,000 people declined from 39.47 to 37.54, a decrease of 4.89%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #258 | #278 | -7.75% |
| Count | 106,481 | 110,744 | 4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 39.47 | 37.54 | -4.89% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mccoy
When we turn our attention to the ethnic identity associated with the name Mccoy, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting trends. Whites make up the majority carrying this surname, although their proportion decreased slightly from 69.00% in 2000 to 66.88% in 2010. The percentage of Blacks with this surname saw a modest increase, going from 26.39% in 2000 to 26.71% in 2010. The most noteworthy change is observed among Hispanics, where the percentage grew from 1.69% in 2000 to 2.64% in 2010, indicating a rise of 56.21%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Two or More Races also increased significantly from 1.73% to 2.43%, a jump of 40.46%. There were marginal increases in the Asian/Pacific Islander category (from 0.38% to 0.46%) and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category (0.81% to 0.89%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 69% | 66.88% | -3.07% |
| Black | 26.39% | 26.71% | 1.21% |
| Hispanic | 1.69% | 2.64% | 56.21% |
| Two or More Races | 1.73% | 2.43% | 40.46% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.81% | 0.89% | 9.88% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.38% | 0.46% | 21.05% |
Mccoy 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 Mccoy is British & Irish, which comprises 54.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.0%) and Nigerian (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.6% |
| French & German | 22.0% |
| Nigerian | 3.6% |
| Other | 19.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Mccoy
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 Mccoy have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
What Mccoy 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 Mccoy is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S756 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Patterson, Kelley, Clarke, Ward, Mckay, Wilson, Walker, Taylor, Brown, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mccoy surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Mccoy 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Mccoy" Surname 47.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Mccoy" Surname 23.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mccoy" Surname 22.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Mccoy" Surname 19.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mccoy?
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 Mccoy are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition