The McElroy surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 24,668 people carried this name — #1,446 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 12,000 people counted. That is up 3% from 24,064 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McElroy surname

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Giolla Ruaidh (“son of the red-haired lad”).

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

In Scotland’s registers today

McElroy 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 14. 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 the first U.S. census, 1790

55 families named McElroy, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 301 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McElroy, Maccleroy, Macelroy, McIlroy, Mckelroy, McLRoy, McLroy, Muccleroy, Muckelroy, Muckeroy, Muckle Roy, Muckleroy, Muckleroych, Muckleroye, Muclaroy, Muclroy. 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 25
North Carolina 11
New York 6
South Carolina 6
Massachusetts 3
Maryland 2
Vermont 1
Virginia 1

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

McElroy in American newspapers,
1917.

Newspaper page from The Donaldsonville Chief carrying the name McElroy
The Donaldsonville Chief 1917-07-28
Newspaper page from The Donaldsonville Chief carrying the name McElroy
The Donaldsonville Chief 1917-09-15
Newspaper page from The Donaldsonville Chief carrying the name McElroy
The Donaldsonville Chief 1917-08-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 99,108 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McElroy in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1990s.

8,051 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McElroy. The most, 2,709, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 4,926
South Australia 1,202
Queensland 848
Victoria 637
Western Australia 207
ACT (Canberra) 111
Tasmania 95
Northern Territory 4

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

Who carried it

People named McElroy,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Mary Arthur McElroy
    Mary Arthur McElroy 1841–1917 · politician
  • Neil H. McElroy
    Neil H. McElroy 1904–1972 · politician
  • William D. McElroy 1917–1999 · biochemist

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

In the public record

People named McElroy,
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 States3,911 records

3,911 records of the McElroy name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,159
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 919
  • Other U.S. records 1,833
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Derwood I. McElroy

    Born 1923 in Maine. Enlisted 1943 at Bangor; driver from Penobscot County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at West Enfield Cemetery, Maine.

    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 Ellen McElroy

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool, aged 21; servant. From Liverpool, England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Dennis Arthur McElroy

    Born 1944; from Modesto, California. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 3,911 records for McElroy in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia254 records

254 records of the McElroy name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 126
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 52
  • Other Australian records 76
  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 Michael McElroy

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Chapman, arriving 1817.

    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 Elizb McElroy

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Thorwaldsen, aged 53; Scottish.

    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 Alma McElroy

    Retired of Cheltenham, Victoria; died 2001.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 254 records for McElroy 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) · 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).

Canada73 records

73 records of the McElroy name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 28
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 15
  • Other Canadian records 30
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Vincent Robert McElroy

    Buried in 1975 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 79.

    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 Edward Robert McElroy

    Died 1945 in Reserve River, Cape Breton, 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 Victor Henry McElroy

    Died in service in 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 73 records for McElroy in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. 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 Zealand20 records

20 records of the McElroy 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 Susan McElroy

    Died 1913, aged 73; buried at Linwood 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 Michael McElroy

    Died 1921, aged 44; 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 Ivy Janet McElroy

    Died 1982, aged 83; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 20 records for McElroy 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).

United Kingdom8 records

8 records of the McElroy name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record P. McElroy

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

    Royal Irish 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 First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. McElroy

    King's (Liverpool Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 8 records for McElroy in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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 McElroy.

When the index is not enough

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

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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