Explore the Family Name Mcgregor
The meaning of Mcgregor
Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Griogair or Mac Greagair ‘son of Griogar’, Gaelic form of the personal name Gregory. Compare Grierson. History: The Scottish Highland clan McGregor claims descent from the king of Picts and Scots Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed mac Ailpín; 810–58 AD). The origins of the clan are unclear. In the 13th century it was established on lands on the shores of Loch Awe and already in conflict with its neighbors of Clan Campbell. By the 16th century the McGregors had retreated deep into Glen Strae and acquired the nickname ‘Children of the Mist’. In 1603 the clan was abolished by royal edict and many members of the clan changed their surname. A year later, the chief of Clan McGregor and eleven of his followers were hanged in Edinburgh. Despite the proscription, the clan survived and supported the king in the Scottish Civil War (1644–51). The exploits of the Jacobite leader Rob Roy McGregor (1671–1734) were romanticized in a novel by Sir Walter Scott. The proscription was eventually repealed in 1774.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mcgregor in the United States?
According to data based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname McGregor saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 2,227th most common name in the United States, while in 2010, it dipped slightly to 2,333rd. Despite the drop in rank, the actual count of people with the surname McGregor increased by 4.31% from 14,969 in 2000 to 15,614 in 2010. However, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 4.68%, indicating that while the absolute number of people named McGregor grew, it did not keep pace with overall population growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,227 | #2,333 | -4.76% |
| Count | 14,969 | 15,614 | 4.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.55 | 5.29 | -4.68% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mcgregor
When it comes to ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts from 2000 to 2010. The number of individuals identified as White dropped by 2.91%, from 83.46% to 81.03%. On the other hand, the percentage of those who identify as Hispanic rose significantly by 69.87% in the same period. There were also increases in the percentages of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, with respective changes of 41.67%, 7.77%, and 18.87%. The group identifying as "Two or more races" also saw an increase, moving from 1.59% to 1.72%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.46% | 81.03% | -2.91% |
| Black | 12.49% | 13.46% | 7.77% |
| Hispanic | 1.56% | 2.65% | 69.87% |
| Two or More Races | 1.59% | 1.72% | 8.18% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.53% | 0.63% | 18.87% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.36% | 0.51% | 41.67% |
Mcgregor 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 Mcgregor is British & Irish, which comprises 58.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.7%) and Eastern European (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.1% |
| French & German | 18.7% |
| Eastern European | 4.9% |
| Other | 18.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Mcgregor
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 Mcgregor have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
What Mcgregor 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 Mcgregor is R-S691, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S691 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Macgregor, Arnett, Alexander, Buchanan, Christie, Jeffries, Thomson, Davidson, Black, Patterson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mcgregor 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 Mcgregor 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.
"Mcgregor" Surname 39.8%
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.
"Mcgregor" Surname 27.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mcgregor" Surname 26.5%
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.
"Mcgregor" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mcgregor?
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 Mcgregor are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition