The McRae surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 18,156 people carried this name — #1,987 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 16,200 people counted. That is up 6% from 17,203 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the McRae surname

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Raith (“son of grace”), from mac + rath.

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

In Scotland, 1880s

McRae and Macrae, counted together, were 14 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 714. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Inverness-shire and the Hebrides.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 592 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

McRae was recorded 41 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 634th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 57. 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

105 families named McRae, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 611 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: McRae, McCrae, McCray, McCre, McCrea, McKray, McRa, McRay, Mcray, McRea, McRee. 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 59
Pennsylvania 14
South Carolina 12
New York 5
Maryland 5
Connecticut 4
Virginia 4
New Hampshire 1
Massachusetts 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. 253 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

McRae in American newspapers,
1896–1903.

Newspaper page from Abilene Weekly Reflector carrying the name McRae
Abilene Weekly Reflector 1896-07-30
Newspaper page from The Indianapolis Journal carrying the name McRae
The Indianapolis Journal 1903-12-29
Newspaper page from Abilene Weekly Reflector carrying the name McRae
Abilene Weekly Reflector 1902-01-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 92,963 pages in all carry the name.

In print

McRae in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

48,601 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss McRae. The most, 13,600, date from the 1930s. 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 the Northern Territory, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 21,858
Victoria 12,789
South Australia 4,472
Western Australia 4,462
Queensland 2,883
Tasmania 1,547
ACT (Canberra) 325
Northern Territory 158

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

Who carried it

People named McRae,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Carmen McRae
    Carmen McRae 1920–1994 · jazz singer
  • Thomas Chipman McRae
    Thomas Chipman McRae 1851–1929 · banker
  • Graham McRae 1940–2021 · Formula One driver
  • Frank McRae 1944–2021 · American football player

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

In the public record

People named McRae,
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 States1,459 records

1,459 records of the McRae name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 592
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 295
  • Other U.S. records 572
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Lewis E. McRae

    Born 1917 in Florida. Enlisted 1942 at Jacksonville; manager. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War; died 1996, buried at Bougainvillea Cemetery, Florida.

    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 Mary McRae

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Anchoria from Glasgow, aged 17; servant. From Ross Shire, Scotland.

    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 Lawrence Joseph McRae

    Born 1949; from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. U.S. Marine Corps, machinegunner; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

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

Showing 3 of 1,459 records for McRae in the United States.

Counts: 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) · 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) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (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).

Australia1,744 records

1,744 records of the McRae name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 857
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 526
  • Other Australian records 361
  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 Margaret McRae

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Cadet, sailing from London in 1847. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Honoria McRae

    Died 1909 in Bothwell, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1909.

    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 McRae

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Cuzco, aged 23; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,744 records for McRae 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) · 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada1,254 records

1,254 records of the McRae name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 857
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 133
  • Other Canadian records 264
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Duncan McRae

    Killed in 1873 at the Drummond 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 Patricia Arlene McRae

    Died 1995, aged 59; 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 Christopher Frederick Bud McRae

    Died in service in 1943.

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

Showing 3 of 1,254 records for McRae 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. · 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. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · 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 Kingdom87 records

87 records of the McRae name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 39
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 26
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 22
  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 McRae

    Born 1888 at Rose Newton Cottage; farm servant. Died 1918. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918 (Highland Light Infantry).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain); 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 John McRae

    Born 1877 at Nairn; labourer. Served in the First World War. Named in the Morayshire roll of honour (1921).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Finlay McRae

    Buried in 1896 at Strathblane Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 32.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 87 records for McRae in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (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); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand66 records

66 records of the McRae name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 36
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 14
  • Other New Zealand records 16
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Anne McRae

    Died 1957, aged 85; buried at Bromley 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 Phillip Douglas McRae

    Died 1972, aged 81; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (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 F. McRae

    New Zealand Infantry. 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 66 records for McRae in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the McRae name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Orval Herbert McRae

    Married in 1945 in Nijmegen; driver.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to McRae.

When the index is not enough

This page says where McRae 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 McRae volume
Scroll to Top