The McCusker surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,574 people carried this name — #9,135 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 82,600 people counted. That is up 5% from 3,398 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McCusker surname

Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Oscair (“son of Oscar”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McCusker» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 19 births for the McCusker name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Tyrone.”

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 17
Leinster 2

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

In Scotland’s registers today

McCusker was recorded 22 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1076th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 46. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

McCusker in American newspapers,
1905–1911.

Newspaper page from Willmar Tribune carrying the name McCusker
Willmar Tribune 1911-10-25
Newspaper page from The Roswell Daily Record carrying the name McCusker
The Roswell Daily Record 1906-01-31
Newspaper page from The Barre Daily Times carrying the name McCusker
The Barre Daily Times 1905-01-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 11,919 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McCusker in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1990s.

2,626 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McCusker. The most, 618, date from the 1960s. 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 Australian Capital Territory, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,035
Queensland 552
ACT (Canberra) 354
Western Australia 298
Victoria 250
Tasmania 80
South Australia 44

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

Who carried it

People named McCusker,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Emmett McCusker 1889–1973 · politician

Wikidata (CC0).

In the public record

People named McCusker,
in the records of 5 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 States853 records

853 records of the McCusker name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 283
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 189
  • Other U.S. records 381
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Clair E. McCusker

    Born 1916 in Wisconsin. Enlisted 1945 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota; carpenter. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1981, buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 21; servant. From Tyrone, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Hugh McCusker

    U.S. Army veteran of the Civil War. Born 1831, died 1892; buried at St Mary Cemetery, Jewett City, Connecticut.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 853 records for McCusker in the United States.

Counts: 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) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia124 records

124 records of the McCusker name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 59
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 23
  • Other Australian records 42
  1. 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 John McCusker

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Mangles, arriving 1828; ticket of leave 1833.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1861 aboard the Shackamaxon, aged 17; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John McCusker

    Farmer of Moorooduc, Victoria; died 1881.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 124 records for McCusker in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · 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: 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada12 records

12 records of the McCusker name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 3
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • Other Canadian records 6
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Moira McCusker

    Buried in 1981 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 39.

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

    Died 1969 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Charles Hugh McCusker

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 12 records for McCusker in Canada.

Counts: 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. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand7 records

7 records of the McCusker name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 5
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine McCusker

    Died 1966, aged 82; buried at Sydenham 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 Ellen Mary McCusker

    Died 1918, aged 49; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Trevor Adam McCusker

    Died 1985, aged 29; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for McCusker in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District 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).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the McCusker name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 4
  • Stirling Council burial records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patrick McCusker

    Buried in 1942 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 68.

    Stirling Council. 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 P. McCusker

    Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John McCusker

    Died 1993, aged 90; buried at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 7 records for McCusker in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McCusker.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McCusker is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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