Explore the Family Name Mcrae
The meaning of Mcrae
Scottish: Anglicized form of a patronymic from the Gaelic personal name Mac Raith ‘son of grace or prosperity’. Compare McGrath, the usual Irish form of this surname.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mcrae in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname McRae has seen a slight shift from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the McRae surname was ranked 1920th in popularity and by 2010, it had slid slightly to 1987th. However, despite the drop in rank, the actual count of people with the McRae surname increased by approximately 5.54%, from 17,203 in 2000 to 18,156 in 2010. This indicates that while the name may have become less popular relative to other surnames, more people were actually bearing the name in 2010 than in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,920 | #1,987 | -3.49% |
| Count | 17,203 | 18,156 | 5.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.38 | 6.16 | -3.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mcrae
The ethnicity distribution of individuals with the McRae surname also changed slightly from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of McRaes identifying as White decreased slightly from 54.97% to 52.70%. Simultaneously, those identifying as Black saw a minimal increase from 41.00% to 41.41%. There were also notable increases within the Hispanic community (1.60% to 2.58%), Asian/Pacific Islander community (0.34% to 0.41%), American Indian and Alaskan Native community (0.33% to 0.44%) and among those identifying with two or more races (1.76% to 2.46%). These shifts reflect the changing ethnic identities among individuals with the McRae surname over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 54.97% | 52.7% | -4.13% |
| Black | 41% | 41.41% | 1% |
| Hispanic | 1.6% | 2.58% | 61.25% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 2.46% | 39.77% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.44% | 33.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.34% | 0.41% | 20.59% |
Mcrae 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 Mcrae is British & Irish, which comprises 53.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.1%) and Nigerian (5.8%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.9% |
| French & German | 17.1% |
| Nigerian | 5.8% |
| Other | 23.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Mcrae
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 Mcrae have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.00% |
What Mcrae 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 Mcrae is R-Z17611, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z17611 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: Macrae, Mccray, Mcdonald, Macdonald, Black, Grant, Clarke, Newman, Evans, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mcrae 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 Mcrae 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.
"Mcrae" 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.
"Mcrae" Surname 33.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mcrae" Surname 24.1%
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.
"Mcrae" Surname 16.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mcrae?
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 Mcrae are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition