MCRAE
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Rae, Mcrae
McRae is a patronymic surname of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name Macraith or Macrath which translates literally as son of grace. The term grace in ancient Celtic culture may have been used to denote blessings or divine favour, suggesting a heritage connected with religious or spiritual service.
The name is traditionally associated with the Highland region of Scotland where Gaelic was historically spoken, and it is most commonly found among members of the Clan Macrae, a recognised Highland Scottish clan. As a patronymic, it originally identified individuals as the descendants of a male ancestor named Rae or of the Rae family.
In addition to the spelling McRae, the surname appears in several other forms, including MacRae, Rae, Ree and Rea. Early medieval records show a variety of variations. For instance, a charter of 1095 records a name Vlui Ra in the Archives of the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, during the reign of Henry I of England. Later, in 1231 a mason named Robert Raa witnessed a deed for the Abbey of Culross in Scotland.
Other historical references include a 15th‑century warrant describing a clan called Rae—originally Raa—from the Dumfriesshire region as being “troublesome and contumacious as any of the borderers.” Although this group was noted for its severity, the surname itself continued to be recorded in numerous contexts. An example is Peter Rae (1671‑1748), who served as minister of Kirkconnel in Scotland and published an account of the 1715 Jacobite uprising.
Through Scottish emigration the surname McRae has been carried to other parts of the world, yet its primary concentration remains within the British Isles, reflecting its Celtic roots and Gaelic linguistic heritage.
Typical given names associated with the McRae surname
Male
- Alan
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Colin
- David
- Gordon
- Ian
- James
- John
- Robert
- William
Female
- Alison
- Amanda
- Angela
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Joanne
- Louise
- Margaret
- Mary
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- MacRae
- McCree
- McCrea
- McCrey
- McCray
- McKray
- McRay
- McRee
- McRea
- McCrae
- Macrea
- Macray
- Macra
- Maccrae
- Macre
- Macaire
- Macar
- Macara
- Macare
- Macaree
- Macari
- Macarie
- Macario
- Macaro
- Maccari
- Maccario
- Maccree
- Maccurrie
- Macgarr
- Macguire
- Macker
- Macor
- Macquarie
- Macquarrie
- Macquire
- Macree
- Macri
- Macrie
- Macro
- Macroe
- Macur
- Macura
- Magar
- Magara
- Magaro
- Maggar
- Magger
- Maggiora
- Maggiore
- Maggiori
- Maghar
- Magher
- Magor
- Magora
- Magori
- Magoro
- Magra
- Magre
- Magree
- Magri
- Magrie
- Magro
- Maguare
- Maguer
- Maguier
- Maguir
- Maguire
- Magura
- Magure
- Magurie
- Maigre
- Maiker
- Makar
- Makara
- Makari
- Makariou
- Maker
- Makkar
- Makker
- Makore
- Makra
- Makri
- Makura
- Maquaire
- Maquire
- Maugher
- Maygor
- Mcara
- Mcaree
- Mcaroe
- Mccara
- Mccarr
- Mccarra
- Mccorie
- Mccorrie
- Mccra
- Mccraig
- Mccraw
- Mccreight
- Mccrie
- Mccure
- Mccurrie
- Mcgair
- Mcgar
- Mcgarr
- Mcgarrie
- Mcgorie
- Mcgorrie
- Mcgra
- Mcgraa
- Mcgrae
- Mcgree
- Mcgrue
- Mcguarrie
- Mcguier
- Mcguir
- Mcguire
- Mcgure
- Mcgurie
- Mcgurr
- Mckeer
- Mckerr
- Mckree
- Mcquarie
- Mcquarrie
- Mcqueer
- Mcquire
- Mcraey
- Mcraye
- Mcrell
- Mcrey
- Mcroe
- Meagar
- Meagher
- Meagor
- Meagre
- Meaker
- Mecker
- Meeker
- Megaro
- Megger
- Megra
- Megre
- Meguer
- Meguire
- Mekaouar
- Mekari
- Meker
- Mekouar
- Mguire
- Migra
- Miker
- Mocaer
- Mocker
- Mogor
- Mogra
- Mogre
- Mokri
- Mooker
- Mugara
- Mugra
- Muguiro
- Mukar
- Mukari
- Muker
- Mukiri
- Mukoro
- Mukri
- Mukuru
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McRae in...
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There are approximately 3,083 people named McRae in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,924th most common surname in Britain. Around 47 in a million people in Britain are named McRae.
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 McRae
- Colin McRae - Racing driver (1968 to 2007)
- Hilton McRae - Actor
- Tom McRae - Singer-songwriter
- Alister McRae - Scottish rally driver
- Jimmy McRae - Racing driver
- George McRae - Scottish/Australian architect (1858 to 1923)
- Peter McRae - Cricketer (1916 to 1944)
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.