The McHenry surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,660 people carried this name — #3,082 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,300 people counted. That is up 3% from 11,369 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McHenry surname

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Éinrí, a patronymic from a Gaelicized form of the personal name Henry.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «McHenry» (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 27 births for the McHenry 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 1,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The count includes the spelling McEniry.

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 13
Munster 11
Leinster 2
Connacht 1

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

28 families named McHenry, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 169 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McHenry, McHenary, McHenery. 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 14
Maryland 5
North Carolina 5
New York 2
Virginia 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

McHenry in American newspapers,
1910.

Newspaper page from The Laramie Republican carrying the name McHenry
The Laramie Republican 1910-04-16
Newspaper page from The Robesonian carrying the name McHenry
The Robesonian 1910-02-03
Newspaper page from The Laramie Republican carrying the name McHenry
The Laramie Republican 1910-04-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 118,228 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McHenry in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

5,810 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McHenry. The most, 1,320, date from the 1940s. 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 Western Australia, at 2.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,791
Western Australia 1,448
Victoria 1,297
South Australia 581
Queensland 376
Tasmania 185
ACT (Canberra) 94
Northern Territory 2

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

Who carried it

People named McHenry,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James McHenry
    James McHenry 1753–1816 · statistician
  • Curtis McHenry
    Curtis McHenry 1899–1934 · U.S. Army soldier
  • William McHenry 1771–1835 · politician
  • James McHenry 1785–1845 · novelist

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

In the public record

People named McHenry,
in the records of 4 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 States1,281 records

1,281 records of the McHenry name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 419
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 255
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 215
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 198
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 86
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 55
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 46
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 4
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 3
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Hula J. McHenry

    Born 1906 in Oklahoma. Enlisted 1943 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; farm hand from Bourbon County, Kansas. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1963, buried at Fort Scott National Cemetery, Kansas.

    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 Jane McHenry

    Arrived at Philadelphia in 1851 aboard the William Penn from Liverpool, aged 43; servant. From Ireland; bound for Pennsylvania.

    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 Everett E. McHenry

    Born 1932; from Madison County, Ohio. U.S. Army, field artillery chief; declared dead 1953 in North Korea.

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

Showing 3 of 1,281 records for McHenry in the United States.

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

Australia262 records

262 records of the McHenry name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 100
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 66
  • Tasmanian Names Index 53
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 36
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 6
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  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 Ellen McHenry

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Mellish, sailing from Spithead in 1830. Native of St James, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836. Married 1836 in Launceston, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Bridget McHenry

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1853. Married 1853 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 20.

    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 John McHenry

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Oliver Lang, aged 28; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 262 records for McHenry 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) · 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); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada25 records

25 records of the McHenry name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 13
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 6
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 3
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Alex McHenry

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Adalia, landing at Quebec, bound for Acton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Adeline McHenry

    Died 1928 in Truro, Colchester, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Hugh McHenry

    Died 1944; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 25 records for McHenry in Canada.

Counts: 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. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom4 records

4 records of the McHenry 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 C. McHenry

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

    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 G. McHenry

    Lance Corporal, Royal Garrison Artillery. 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 D. McHenry

    Cheshire 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 4 records for McHenry 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 McHenry.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McHenry 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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