The McGrath surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 34,871 people carried this name — #1,006 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 8,460 people counted. That is up 2% from 34,031 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McGrath surname

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Craith, perhaps a variant of Mac Raith (“son of Rath”), a byname from rath (“abundance, prosperity”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McGrath» (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 266 births for the McGrath name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 11,800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The count includes the spelling Magrath.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 131
Ulster 60
Leinster 49
Connacht 26

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

In Poland’s population register

23 people named McGrath have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 89 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 6 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.

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

Where they live today

Lesser Poland 6
Greater Poland 5
Masovian 4
Opole 4
Subcarpathian 2
Silesian 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In the Nordic population registers

21 people named McGrath is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 21

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland’s registers today

McGrath was recorded 69 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 389th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 79. 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

McGrath in American newspapers,
1915.

Newspaper page from Honolulu Star-bulletin carrying the name McGrath
Honolulu Star-bulletin 1915-10-26
Newspaper page from Honolulu Star-bulletin carrying the name McGrath
Honolulu Star-bulletin 1915-10-26
Newspaper page from Honolulu Star-bulletin carrying the name McGrath
Honolulu Star-bulletin 1915-10-27

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

McGrath in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2010s.

109,069 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McGrath. The most, 25,955, date from the 1930s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 44,197
Queensland 22,763
Victoria 20,093
Western Australia 10,789
South Australia 6,296
Tasmania 3,086
ACT (Canberra) 1,188
Northern Territory 83

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

Who carried it

People named McGrath,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Matt McGrath
    Matt McGrath 1877–1941 · hammer thrower
  • Jack McGrath
    Jack McGrath 1919–1955 · Formula One driver
  • Bob McGrath 1932–2022 · television actor
  • Douglas McGrath 1958–2022 · opinion journalist

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

In the public record

People named McGrath,
in the records of 7 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 States15,365 records

15,365 records of the McGrath name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 5,182
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 4,947
  • Other U.S. records 5,236
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Edward Albert McGrath

    Born 1948; from Astoria, New York. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. 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 Charles E. McGrath

    Born 1916 in New Jersey. Enlisted 1941 at Newark; insurance clerk from Essex County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hammonton, New Jersey.

    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 Ellen McGrath

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Baltic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 20; servant. From Cork, Ireland.

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

Showing 3 of 15,365 records for McGrath 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, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). 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).

Australia4,577 records

4,577 records of the McGrath name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,942
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 962
  • Other Australian records 1,673
  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 Anastatia McGrath

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Midlothian, sailing from Kingston in 1852. Native of Wexford. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1856.

    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 Michael McGrath

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lord Auckland, sailing from Dublin in 1846. Native of Tipperary. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Lady McDonald, aged 29; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4,577 records for McGrath in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (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) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Canada1,335 records

1,335 records of the McGrath name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1,180
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 45
  • Other Canadian records 110
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Michael Stephen McGrath

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos McGrath

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Circassian, landing at Quebec, bound for St. Thomas, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lillian McGrath

    Buried in 1956 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 74.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 1,335 records for McGrath 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. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · 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. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · 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. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); 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).

New Zealand115 records

115 records of the McGrath name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 84
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 25
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Carol Mary McGrath

    Died 1990, aged 51; 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 Owen McGrath

    Died 1928, aged 73; 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 Joseph McGrath

    Died 1966; buried at Kaiapoi Public Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 115 records for McGrath in New Zealand.

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

Ireland79 records

79 records of the McGrath name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John McGrath

    Died 1978, aged 71; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bridget McGrath

    Died 1937, aged 69; buried at Dunmore, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George McGrath

    Died 1950, aged 69; buried at Killererin (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 79 records for McGrath in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County 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 Kingdom58 records

58 records of the McGrath name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 42
  • Stirling Council burial records 9
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patrick McGrath

    Buried in 1943 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 76.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John M. McGrath

    Buried in 1818 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 26.

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

    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)

Showing 3 of 58 records for McGrath 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. · 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).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the McGrath name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Francis Hugh Mc. Grath

    In the population register of Co-Maeth (Gb); student, born 1910 in Co-Maeth (Gb).

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register James Vernon Mc Grath

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1906 in Mannassa.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 5 records for McGrath in the Netherlands.

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 McGrath.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McGrath 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.

See the McGrath volume
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