McDwyer Surname

1,839,022nd
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 101 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
Ireland
Highest density in:
Ireland

McDwyer Surname Definition:

MacDyer is the more usual spelling, MacDyre being another variant. It is now mainly associated with Glenties in Co. Donegal though it is found also in the northern parts of Connacht. The first reference to the name I have met is to three MacDyers who obtained “pardons” in Co.

Read More About This Surname

McDwyer Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland961:49,0513,577
United States481:7,551,228341,161
England471:1,185,49155,443
Australia41:6,748,925181,100
France11:66,422,722504,397
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland261:170,3798,688

McDwyer Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

MacDyer is the more usual spelling, MacDyre being another variant. It is now mainly associated with Glenties in Co. Donegal though it is found also in the northern parts of Connacht. The first reference to the name I have met is to three MacDyers who obtained “pardons” in Co. Sligo in 1593. I think it is cognate with the well known Donegal name Devir, which, it is true, usually occurs as an O name, but not always: witness, for example, in an inquisition of 1632, a Co. Donegal landowner called Phelim MacDavir a “meere” or native Irishman who, it may be of interest to note, had tenants. MacDuibhir, the Gaelic-Irish form given by Woulfe (who offers no further information on the name), may be accepted as correct. MacDwyer, it would be added, has no connexion with O'Dwyer and is quite distinct from it.

The English occupative surname Dyer appears frequently in mediaeval Irish records as le Deyer etc. but it has no connexion, of course, with the name now under consideration.

*The Patent Rolls of 1373, in a list of leading septs of Thomond and Tipperary, includes the O'Dures. This may be taken as O'Dwyer.

Supplement to Irish Families (1964) by Edward MacLysaght

Mac Duibhir Though often written MacDwyer this Donegal name has no connexion with O’Dwyer. Without the prefix Mac, Dyer is mainly found in Cos. Sligo and Roscommon. SIF 61

A Guide to Irish Names (1964) by Edward MacLysaght

McDwyer Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name McDwyer Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name McDwyer is found in Ireland more than any other country or territory. It may occur as:. For other possible spellings of this last name click here.

How Common Is The Last Name McDwyer? popularity and diffusion

The last name McDwyer is the 1,839,022nd most frequently held last name on earth It is held by approximately 1 in 72,153,920 people. It is predominantly found in Europe, where 143 percent of McDwyer live; 142 percent live in Northern Europe and 142 percent live in British Isles.

The surname McDwyer is most commonly occurring in Ireland, where it is held by 96 people, or 1 in 49,051. In Ireland McDwyer is most numerous in: Ulster, where 58 percent live, Connaught, where 24 percent live and Leinster, where 16 percent live. Not including Ireland this surname occurs in 4 countries. It also occurs in The United States, where 48 percent live and England, where 47 percent live.

McDwyer Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The prevalency of McDwyer has changed through the years. In Ireland the share of the population with the surname grew 369 percent between 1901 and 2014.

McDwyer Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those holding the McDwyer last name is chiefly Catholic (100%) in Ireland.

In The United States those bearing the McDwyer last name are 13.44% more likely to be registered with the Democratic Party than The US average, with 66.67% registered with the political party.

McDwyer earn notably less less than the average income. In United States they earn 22.76% less than the national average, earning $33,327 USD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

Search for Another Surname

The name statistics are still in development, sign up for information on more maps and data

By signing up to the mailing list you will only receive emails specifically about name reference on Forebears and your information will not be distributed to 3rd parties.

Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to McDwyer
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis