McGrady
An Irish surname that is usually treated as an Anglicized form of a Gaelic family name, though older sources do not agree on the exact original form.
The #8,611 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 80,845 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McGrady is an Anglicized Irish surname built on Mac, meaning 'son of,' plus a Gaelic personal or family-name element that older sources render in different ways. Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century writers associate it with forms such as Mac Gráda or a closely related spelling, but the exact original Gaelic form is not completely settled in the excerpts. In broad terms, the name means 'son of Gráda/Grady,' with the second element likely a personal name or nickname that has been historicized in several spellings.
History
The name is found in Ireland and in Irish diaspora records, especially in counties and emigrant communities where many Mac/Mc surnames were simplified or standardized in English. The historical sources excerpted here list McGrady alongside other Irish surnames, showing it was recognized as an established Irish family name by the 19th century. Spellings often varied between MacGrady and McGrady, reflecting normal Anglicization and record-keeping practices.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older Irish surname collections sometimes place McGrady next to McGrath and McGreal, a reminder of how many Irish names were being cataloged and compared as scholars tried to map Gaelic forms onto English spellings.
From the historical record
“niAg AfCAill, MacGaskell. mA5 t)^A-OAi5, MacGrady, Mac Grade. triAs t)|iA-OAin, Graden, Groden. triAs liiiAonAni, MacGrienan,”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnamesNotable people named McGrady
- Tracy McGrady (b. 1979)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.