The McGhee surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 23,461 people carried this name — #1,529 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 12,600 people counted. That is up 8% from 21,727 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the McGhee surname

Variant of McGee.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McGhee» (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

McGhee was recorded 98 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 264th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 151. 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

In 1790, McGhee was counted together with McGee: 154 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 739 people lived in those households, 4.8 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McGee, McGahee, McGahey, Mcgahey, McGahhy, McGahy, McGaighy, Mcgeahey, Mcgee, M'gee, McGeehee, McGees, McGehe, McGehee, McGehey, McGhee, Mage, Magee, Magehee, Megee, Megehee. 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

North Carolina 53
Pennsylvania 30
New York 19
Virginia 18
Maryland 12
South Carolina 10
Massachusetts 7
Maine 2
Vermont 1
Rhode Island 1
Connecticut 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

McGhee in American newspapers,
1876–1916.

Newspaper page from Los Angeles Herald carrying the name McGhee
Los Angeles Herald 1908-07-12
Newspaper page from The Topeka State Journal carrying the name McGhee
The Topeka State Journal 1916-05-25
Newspaper page from The Greenville Times carrying the name McGhee
The Greenville Times 1876-10-28

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 30,655 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McGhee in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

3,040 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McGhee. The most, 749, date from the 1930s. Queensland 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 Victoria, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 878
Victoria 769
New South Wales 691
Western Australia 347
South Australia 273
ACT (Canberra) 45
Tasmania 28
Northern Territory 2

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

Who carried it

People named McGhee,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Bart McGhee 1899–1979 · association football player
  • Howard McGhee 1918–1987 · jazz musician
  • Brownie McGhee 1915–1996 · blues musician
  • Stick McGhee 1917–1961 · singer

Wikidata (CC0).

In the public record

People named McGhee,
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 States1,227 records

1,227 records of the McGhee name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 624
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 316
  • Other U.S. records 287
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Maurice McGhee

    Born 1931; from New York, New York. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; killed in action 1952 in North Korea. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    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 Wilbert McGhee

    Born 1910 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Forrest; farmer from Fayette County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1986, buried at Memphis National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    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 Maria McGhee

    Arrived at New York in 1834 aboard the Robert Ker from Liverpool, aged 20; sewer. From Ireland; bound for Boston.

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

Showing 3 of 1,227 records for McGhee in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · 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). 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).

Australia209 records

209 records of the McGhee name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 99
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 32
  • Other Australian records 78
  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 Mary Ann McGhee

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Anna Maria, sailing from London in 1851. Native of Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1855.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Arthur McGhee

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Orient, aged 17; 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 Eileen Emilie McGhee

    Gentlewoman of Mt Eliza, Victoria; died 1989.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 209 records for McGhee 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) · State Library of Western Australia (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).

Canada32 records

32 records of the McGhee name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 12
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 5
  • Other Canadian records 15
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record S'l McGhee

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Missouri, landing at Quebec, bound for Berlin, Ontario; Irish.

    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 Nancy Virginia McGhee

    Died 1984, aged 42; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  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 Jasper McGhee

    Died in service in 1916.

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

Showing 3 of 32 records for McGhee in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · 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 Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom31 records

31 records of the McGhee name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 16
  • Stirling Council burial records 14
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William McGhee

    Died 1995, aged 55; buried at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    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 George S. McGhee

    Died 1918. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (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 J. C. McGhee

    Sapper, Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

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

Showing 3 of 31 records for McGhee 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. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). 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).

France1 record

1 record of the McGhee 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 Thomas Charles McGhee

    Born 1944 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Biot (Alpes-Maritimes).

    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).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the McGhee name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Henry Mc Ghee

    In a population register; born 1880.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McGhee.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McGhee 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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