The McCoy surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 110,744 people carried this name — #278 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 2,660 people counted. That is up 4% from 106,481 in 2000.

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In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 41 births for the McCoy name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 30
Leinster 7
Connacht 2
Munster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

224 families named McCoy, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,218 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McCoy, McCoey, M'Coy, Maccoy, Macoy, McCoye, McKoy, McKoye. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 63
North Carolina 46
Maryland 27
Virginia 26
South Carolina 22
New York 20
New Hampshire 13
Connecticut 3
Vermont 2
Massachusetts 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 252 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McCoy in American newspapers,
1897–1900.

Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name McCoy
The Anaconda Standard 1897-12-18
Newspaper page from The Portland Daily Press carrying the name McCoy
The Portland Daily Press 1900-08-31
Newspaper page from Daily Inter Mountain carrying the name McCoy
Daily Inter Mountain 1900-01-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 428,915 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McCoy in Australian newspapers,
1810s–1990s.

24,651 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McCoy. The most, 5,076, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 5.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 9,679
Victoria 5,314
South Australia 3,940
Queensland 3,104
Tasmania 1,330
Western Australia 864
Northern Territory 216
ACT (Canberra) 127

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McCoy.

Who carried it

People named McCoy,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Tim McCoy
    Tim McCoy 1891–1978 · circus performer
  • Harry McCoy
    Harry McCoy 1889–1937 · film director
  • Kid McCoy
    Kid McCoy 1872–1940 · film actor
  • Horace McCoy 1897–1955 · novelist
  • Van McCoy 1940–1979 · songwriter

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0.

In the public record

People named McCoy,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States8,395 records

8,395 records of the McCoy name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 3,460
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 1,675
  • Other U.S. records 3,260
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John Lowery McCoy

    Born 1925; from Los Angeles, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1964 in South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Jeff McCoy

    Born 1905 in Virginia. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Jay Governors Island, New York; laundry worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1979, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary McCoy

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Majestic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 23; servant. From Limerick, Ireland; bound for Brooklyn.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 8,395 records for McCoy in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia964 records

964 records of the McCoy name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 349
  • Tasmanian Names Index 267
  • Other Australian records 348
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elizabeth Mary McCoy

    Born 1862 in Deloraine, Tasmania. Married 1885 in Port Sorell, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James McCoy

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Lord Melville, arriving 1829; ticket of leave 1836. Native of Cavan.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mathew McCoy

    Arrived in Victoria in 1859 aboard the Marco Polo, aged 19; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 964 records for McCoy in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada123 records

123 records of the McCoy name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 71
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 15
  • Other Canadian records 37
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt McCoy

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the Sarmatian, bound for Kingston, Ontario; Ireland.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Leonard James McCoy

    Buried in 1999 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 61.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record George McCoy

    Died 1921 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 123 records for McCoy in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom14 records

14 records of the McCoy name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William McCoy

    Buried in 1819 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 22.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. McCoy

    Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record L. J. McCoy

    Royal Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 14 records for McCoy in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand11 records

11 records of the McCoy name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Veronica Mary McCoy

    Died 1997, aged 84; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ethel Violet McCoy

    Died 1960, aged 64; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frank Alexander McCoy

    Died 1956, aged 79; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 11 records for McCoy in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the McCoy name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Eadaoin Una McCoy

    Born 1975 in Ireland; died 1994 in Gonesse (Val-d'Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Earl David McCoy

    Born 1926 in the United States; died 1992 in Uzès (Gard).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McCoy.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McCoy is.
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