The McIver surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,457 people carried this name — #6,258 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 54,100 people counted. That is up 2% from 5,326 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the McIver surname

Anglicized form of Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Íomhair (“son of Íomhar”), Gaelic adaptation of the Old Norse name Ívarr.

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

McIver was recorded 19 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1203rd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 27. 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

22 families named McIver, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 136 people lived in those households, 6.2 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McIver, McEver, McEvers, McIvair, McIvers. 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 8
New York 6
South Carolina 3
Pennsylvania 2
Virginia 2
Maryland 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

McIver in American newspapers,
1909–1910.

Newspaper page from San Antonio Light And Gazette carrying the name McIver
San Antonio Light And Gazette 1909-08-12
Newspaper page from San Antonio Light And Gazette carrying the name McIver
San Antonio Light And Gazette 1910-09-04
Newspaper page from San Antonio Light And Gazette carrying the name McIver
San Antonio Light And Gazette 1909-08-11

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 10,334 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McIver in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

2,347 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McIver. The most, 788, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 3.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 1,360
New South Wales 350
Queensland 337
South Australia 122
Western Australia 121
Tasmania 39
ACT (Canberra) 12

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

Who carried it

People named McIver,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Henry McIver
    Henry McIver 1841–1907 · military officer
  • George W. McIver
    George W. McIver 1858–1947 · military officer
  • Lewis McIver, 1st Baronet
    Lewis McIver, 1st Baronet 1846–1920 · politician
  • Stuart McIver 1921–2008 · magazine writer
  • Evander McIver 1834– · architect

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

In the public record

People named McIver,
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 States780 records

780 records of the McIver name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 233
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 174
  • Other U.S. records 373
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Norman E. McIver

    Born 1922 in Texas. Enlisted 1940 at Fort Bliss El Paso; farm hand from Dawson County. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    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 Christina McIver

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Anchoria from Glasgow and Moville, aged 26; servant. From Inverness, Scotland; bound for Brooklyn.

    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 Alexander McIver

    Born 1937; from Santa Monica, California. U.S. Air Force; killed in action 1972 in Binh Long, South Vietnam.

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

Showing 3 of 780 records for McIver in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (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) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · 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).

Australia527 records

527 records of the McIver name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 256
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 146
  • Other Australian records 125
  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 William McIver

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the William Jardine, sailing from London in 1844. Native of Glasgow, Lanarkshire.

    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 Mary McIver

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Allison, aged 17; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Thomas McIver

    NSW railway employee; served in the First World War with the 18th Battalion (20th Reinforcements).

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 527 records for McIver 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) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). 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); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Canada295 records

295 records of the McIver name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 254
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 16
  • Other Canadian records 25
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Norman McIver

    Killed in 1872 at the Victoria Mine, Nova Scotia.

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

    Buried in 1991 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 78.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  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 Malcolm McIver

    Died in service in 1944.

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

Showing 3 of 295 records for McIver 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. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · 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. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); 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 Kingdom14 records

14 records of the McIver name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 7
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 6
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record James Noble McIver

    Born 1894 at Forteath Street; art student. Died 1917. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary D. McIver

    Buried in 1966 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 87.

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

    Buried in 1832 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 67.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 14 records for McIver in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · 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: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand9 records

9 records of the McIver name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 7
  • Timaru and Mackenzie District cemetery records 1
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Samuel McIver

    Died 1940, aged 33; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ngaire Mauva McIver

    Died 1967; ashes interred at Oxford Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ruby Eva Frances McIver

    Died 1944, aged 52; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for McIver in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ) · Waimakariri 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the McIver 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 Arthur McIver

    Born 1943 in the United Kingdom; died 2001 in Antibes (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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McIver.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McIver 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 McIver volume
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