How common is the surname McElroy?

24,668 people in the United States had the surname McElroy in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 12,516 Americans. It ranked 1,446th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named McElroy?

Neil H. McElroy, American businessman (1904-1972), followed by Immanuel McElroy.

Where is the surname McElroy most common?

Wikidata records people named McElroy in the United States.

How do you pronounce McElroy?

McElroy is /ˈmækl̩ˌɹɔɪ/, 3 syllables.

Is the surname McElroy getting more or less common?

More common. 24,064 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 24,668 in 2010, up 2.5%.

The surname McElroy

An Irish patronymic surname, carried by 24,668 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈmækl̩ˌɹɔɪ/ 3 syllables Soundex M246

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). McElroy is more common than 99.1% of them.

Origin

Irish origin

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Giolla Ruaidh (“son of the red-haired lad”). See also gillaroo.

McElroy is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

One of 880 Irish surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 24,668 people named McElroy in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 12,516 Americans. That is up 2.5% since 2000, when the Census counted 24,064.

#1,446

rank among US surnames

24,668

people in 2010

8.4

per 100,000 Americans

+2.5%

change since 2000 (was #1,349)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#1,437	Griggs	24,819	12,440
#1,438	Nix	24,786	12,456
#1,439	Clifton	24,758	12,471
#1,440	Thomson	24,750	12,475
#1,441	Yarbrough	24,749	12,475
#1,442	McCauley	24,743	12,478
#1,443	Elias	24,696	12,502

Who is named McElroy

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

79% of people named McElroy identified as white (not Hispanic), 16% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.5% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 79%
Black (not Hispanic) 16%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.5%
Two or more races 1.9%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.5%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous McElroys

3 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Neil H. McElroy
American businessman (1904-1972)
Immanuel McElroy
American basketball player (born 1980)
Alan B. McElroy
American screenwriter, born 1960

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like McElroy

McElroy has the Soundex code M246, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code M246.

Other Irish surnames

All 880 Irish surnames

Questions

Where does the surname McElroy come from?: Anglicized form of Irish Mac Giolla Ruaidh (“son of the red-haired lad”). See also gillaroo.
How common is the surname McElroy?: 24,668 people in the United States had the surname McElroy in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 12,516 Americans. It ranked 1,446th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname McElroy?: In the 2010 Census, 79% of people named McElroy identified as white (not Hispanic), and 16% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named McElroy?: Neil H. McElroy, American businessman (1904-1972), followed by Immanuel McElroy.
Where is the surname McElroy most common?: Wikidata records people named McElroy in the United States.
How do you pronounce McElroy?: McElroy is /ˈmækl̩ˌɹɔɪ/, 3 syllables.
What type of surname is McElroy?: McElroy is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname McElroy getting more or less common?: More common. 24,064 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 24,668 in 2010, up 2.5%.