MCCRAE
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Crae, Mc'Crae, Mc'crae, Mccrae
McCrae is a surname of Scottish origin that has been carried by individuals of Gaelic heritage since at least the medieval period. Its roots lie within the cultural and linguistic landscape of the British Isles, particularly the Highland region of Scotland.
The name derives from the Gaelic patronymic Mac Raith or Mac Craith, where mac means ‘son of’ and raith is interpreted as ‘grace’, ‘prosperity’ or ‘fortune’ in the Celtic language. Some linguistic scholars link the element raith to the Old Irish word rat, meaning ‘luck’ or ‘fate’. Consequently, the surname McCrae may be understood to mean ‘son of grace’ or ‘son of prosperity’.
Early documentary evidence indicates the use of a variant of the name in the early twelfth century. A Latinised form, Macrath de Ospitali, appears in a charter confirming the transfer of a church to the canons of Holyrood during the reign of King Malcolm IV (1153-1165). Later records show the appearance of individuals such as Patrick M'Re (also recorded as M'Rey), a tenant farmer in the parish of Tibbers, Penpont in 1376, and Dugall McRay, a witness at Kilmun, Ayrshire, in 1576. These attestations demonstrate the surname’s continuity and its presence in ecclesiastical and civic contexts.
Within the Highland clan system, the surname is associated with Clan MacRae, a prominent Highland clan that historically operated as a collectivity of kinship ties, military allies, and economic partners. Membership within such a clan implied a feudal relationship whereby clan members were bound to the chief and shared responsibilities for collective defence and land stewardship. The MacRae clan was known for its martial reputation and loyalty to the Mackenzie chiefs, a detail preserved in the oral histories of the region.
Following the Plantation of Ulster in the seventeenth century, a number of families bearing the Irish form MacGrath were settled in Northern Ireland, and subsequently introduced the name into Scottish territories. In modern times, the surname appears throughout the United Kingdom and in nations of the Scottish diaspora such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Census records and parish registries confirm that many bearers of the name can trace their ancestry back to the original Highland clans.
The spelling of the surname has evolved over the centuries, influenced by regional dialects, phonetic interpretations, and anglicisation processes. Recorded variants include McCray, McCrea, McCree, McCrie, McCraw, McCreagh, McCraith, McGragh, MacRae, McRae, and fewer common forms such as MacRath, MacRaith, and Rae. Despite the diversity of orthography, each variation reflects the same Gaelic patronymic origin.
In contemporary society, the surname McCrae remains a marker of Gaelic heritage and of the historical migrations that characterised Scottish history. While it is not among the most common surnames, its rich etymology, documented lineage, and connection to the clan tradition continue to give it cultural significance across generations and across continents.
Typical given names associated with the McCrae surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Alistair
- Andrew
- Colin
- David
- Gordon
- Ian
- James
- John
- Robert
- William
Female
- Alison
- Ann
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
- Yvonne
Similar and related surnames
- Maccrae
- Maccree
- Mackray
- MacQuarrie
- Macquire
- Macra
- MacRae
- Macray
- Macrea
- Macree
- Macro
- Magor
- Mccara
- Mccarey
- Mccarr
- Mccarra
- Mccorie
- Mccra
- Mccrabbe
- Mccraig
- Mccrain
- Mccraine
- Mccran
- Mccrane
- Mccraney
- Mccrann
- Mccrate
- Mccrave
- Mccravey
- Mccraw
- McCray
- McCrea
- Mccrear
- Mccreave
- McCree
- Mccreight
- Mccreit
- McCrey
- Mccrie
- Mccrowe
- Mccroy
- Mccure
- McGarr
- McKray
- Mckree
- McQuarrie
- McQuire
- McRae
- Mcraey
- McRay
- Mcraye
- McRea
- McRee
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McCrae in...
Braille
⠍⠉⠉⠗⠁⠑
Morse
---.-.-.-..-..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,444 people named McCrae in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,520th most common surname in Britain. Around 22 in a million people in Britain are named McCrae.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named McCrae
- James McCrae - Scottish football player and manager (1894 to 1974)
- David McCrae - Scottish football player (1900 to 1976)
- Alex McCrae - Scottish football player and manager (1920 to 2009)
- George McCrae - Politician (1860 to 1928)
- Andrew McCrae - Scottish football player (1886 to 1915)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.