MCCRAY
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Cray, Mccray
The surname McCray is of ancient Gaelic provenance, found throughout the British Isles, notably in Ireland and Scotland. Its roots lie in the Celtic linguistic tradition, where the prefix Mac or Mc signifies “son of.” Consequently, McCray may be rendered as “son of grace” or “son of prosperity.” These meanings are derived from the original Gaelic name Mac Raith or Mac Raibh, with raith relating to fortune or favour.
Historical records attest to the surname’s early presence. In the early thirteenth century, a MacRaith is recorded in the Cartularium Comitatus de Levenax in Scotland, dated around 1225 during the reign of King Alexander XI. Another early witness is a Patrick M’Re or M’Rey, tenant of Tibbers in Penpont, dated 1376. By 1576, an individual named Dugall McRay appears as a witness at Kilmun in Ayrshire. More recently, Andrew McCray was registered at Drumquin in County Tyrone on the 6th of February, 1864, and a daughter, Agnes, was born to Charles McCray and Agnes Brown at Lasswade, Midlothian, on 29th June, 1866.
The surname has appeared in numerous orthographic variations. These include McCrea, McCree, McCrie, McCrag, McCreagh, McCraith, Maccrea, Maccraw, Maccree, Maccrie, and the Irish MacGrath. The ye my and anglicisation of Gaelic names during the medieval period, coupled with differences in regional pronunciation and dialect, produced this array of spellings.
One noteworthy inscription sheds light on the ancient form of the name: the Ogham stone at Keenrath in County Cork bears the text Maqi Rati, a direct early reference to the Gaelic patronymic that later evolved into McCray. Scholars suggest that the name was introduced into Scotland as early as the fifth century, a period when the Gaelic language spread from Ireland across the Atlantic Seaboard.
Clans bearing the McCray surname are traditionally associated with the Highlands, particularly the regions of Ross and Cromarty, where the clan name MacRae is most frequent. The diaspora of Scottish and Irish emigrants during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has spread the name worldwide, with substantial concentrations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Despite this global dispersion, the name remains strongly linked to its Celtic heritage, with modern bearers often recognising the patronymic emphasis on progeny and prosperity that characterises the original Gaelic form.
Typical given names associated with the McCray surname
Male
- Andrew
- Chris
- Ernest
- Howard
Female
- Angela
- Gabrielle
- Sarah
- Sheila
Similar and related surnames
- McRae
- MacRae
- McCrey
- McKray
- McRee
- McRea
- McCree
- McRay
- McCrea
- McCrae
- Maccrae
- Mccary
- Mccra
- Mackray
- Macra
- Macray
- Mccarey
- Mccarry
- Mccory
- Mccran
- Mccrary
- Mccraw
- Mccroy
- Mcraey
- Mcraye
- Maccree
- Macrea
- Mccara
- Mccarr
- Mccarrey
- Mccorey
- Mccrady
- Mccraig
- Mccrain
- Mccrane
- Mccrann
- Mccrate
- Mccrave
- Mccready
- Mccrear
- Mccreary
- Mccreavy
- Mccroary
- Mccurry
- Mckree
- Mcroy
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McCray in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 42 people named McCray in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named McCray.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named McCray
- Ewan McCray - Cricketer
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.