McRae Surname Meaning & Origin
What the McRae last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the McRae coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the McRae last name
Meaning of the McRae last name: son of grace. McRae is a Scottish surname from Gaelic MacRath, "son of grace", a personal name meaning "prosperity" or "good fortune". The Clan MacRae held Kintail in Wester Ross, where they guarded Eilean Donan for the Mackenzies. The last name is now widespread in Canada, the United States and Australia.
Arms associated with the McRae name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the McRae name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full McRae family history
This is only a glimpse of the McRae story. The full McRae history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted McRae coat of arms. Get the full McRae report.
McRae name FAQ
What does the McRae name mean?
son of grace. Common variants include MacRae, McCrae, McRay.
Where does the McRae surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in Canada, the United States and Australia.
Is there a McRae coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized McRae coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).