McGraw or MacGraw is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin. ''McGraw'' has been theorized to be a variant of '' McCrae'', which itself is an

Anglicized Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...

form of the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

''Mag Raith'', a

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...

arising from the

byname An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

''Rath'', meaning "grace" or "prosperity". Another source suggests that ''McGraw'' is a

Northern Irish Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...

variant of ''

McGrath McGrath or MacGrath derives from the Irish surname Mac Craith and is occasionally noted with a space: e.g. Izzy Mc Grath. In Ireland, it is pronounced "Ma Grah". In Australia and New Zealand it is pronounced ''MuhGrah''. Notable people with the su ...

''. These surnames may refer to: In acting: *

Ali MacGraw Elizabeth Alice MacGraw (born April 1, 1939) is an American actress and activist. She gained attention with her role in the film ''Goodbye, Columbus'' (1969), for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. She gained an ...

, American actress and model *

Charles McGraw Charles McGraw (born Charles Crisp Butters; May 10, 1914 – July 29, 1980) was an American stage, film and television actor whose career spanned more than three decades. Early life McGraw was born to Beatrice (née Crisp) and Francis P. B ...

, American actor *

Melinda McGraw Melinda McGraw (born October 25, 1968) is an American actress. She has starred in movies such as ''The Dark Knight'' (2008), ''Wrongfully Accused'' (1998), and ''Skateland'' (2010), and is also known for her television performances on ''Mad Men'' ...

, American actress In politics: *

Darrell McGraw Darrell Vivian McGraw Jr. (born November 8, 1936) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician. He is the brother of former West Virginia State Supreme Court Justice and state Senate President Warren McGraw. He was elected the state supre ...

, lifelong West Virginian and a Democratic politician *

John McGraw (governor) John Harte McGraw (October 4, 1850 June 23, 1910) was an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the second governor of Washington from 1893 to 1897. Biography McGraw was born in Penobscot County, Maine. He served as R ...

, Republican Governor of Washington state from 1893 to 1897 * Perrin H. McGraw (1822–1899), New York politician *

Warren McGraw Warren Randolph McGraw (born May 10, 1939) is a lawyer, politician, and judge in West Virginia and brother of former West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw. Personal life Warren McGraw was born in Wyoming County, West Virginia, United ...

, long serving politician and trial lawyer in West Virginia In fiction: * Feathers McGraw, fictional character *

Kit McGraw This is a list of characters in the American television medical drama series ''Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2 ...

, British detective on FX Networks' ''Nip/Tuck'' *

Quick Draw McGraw Quick Draw McGraw is a fictional anthropomorphic horse and the protagonist and title character of ''The Quick Draw McGraw Show''. He is a white horse, wearing a red Stetson cowboy hat, a red holster belt, a light blue bandana, and occasion ...

, fictional cartoon character In literature: *

Eloise McGraw Eloise Jarvis McGraw (December 9, 1915 – November 30, 2000) was an American author of children's books and young adult novels. Career McGraw also contributed to the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum; working with her daughter, graphic artist ...

, author of children's books *

Gary McGraw Gary McGraw is an American computer scientist, author, and researcher. Education McGraw holds a dual PhD in Cognitive Science and Computer Science from Indiana University and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Virginia. His doctoral disser ...

, co-author of five best selling books *

Jay McGraw Jay Phillip McGraw (born September 12, 1979) is an American writer and television producer. He has written several books aimed at young people and is president and CEO of Stage 29 Productions. He is the son of celebrity therapist Phil McGraw and ...

, American author of self-help books, son of Phil McGraw (Dr. Phil) In music *

Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has released 16 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, four for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those album ...

(born 1967), American country musician In sports: *

Allan McGraw Allan McGraw (29 July 1939 – 1 March 2023) was a Scottish football player and manager, most associated with Greenock Morton. Playing career McGraw started his playing career with Greenock Morton. Playing in Division Two he set a Scottish rec ...

, Scottish football player and manager and father of Mark McGraw *

John McGraw John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants. He was also the third baseman of the pennant-winning 1890 ...

(1873–1934), American Hall of Fame baseball player and manager * Mark McGraw, Scottish football player and son of Allan McGraw *

Muffet McGraw Ann "Muffet" McGraw (born December 5, 1955) is an American former college basketball coach, who served as the head women's basketball coach at Notre Dame from 1987 to 2020, compiling a 848–252 (.771) record over 33 seasons. She led her team to ...

(born 1955), American women's basketball coach *

Thurman "Fum" McGraw Thurman "Fum" McGraw (July 17, 1927 – September 13, 2000) was an American football player and college athletics administrator. He played college football at Colorado A&M (now known as Colorado State University) and was inducted into the Col ...

, football player *

Tom McGraw Thomas Virgil McGraw (born December 8, 1967) is an American former relief pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB) during their 1997 St. Louis Cardinals season, 1997 season. Listed at 6' 2", 195 lb., McGraw ba ...

, former Major League Baseball pitcher *

Tug McGraw Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher and long-time Major League Baseball (MLB) player, often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became th ...

(1944–2004), American baseball player and father of Tim McGraw In business *

James H. McGraw James Herbert McGraw (December 17, 1860 in Harmony, New York Harmony is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 2,108 at the 2020 census. The town is on the south border of the county and southwest of Jamestown. ...

, co-founder of The McGraw-Hill Companies and president of the company from 1917 to 1928 *

Harold McGraw III Harold Whittlesey "Terry" McGraw III (born August 30, 1948) is an American businessman and is the chairman emeritus of McGraw Hill Financial (now S&P Global and formerly McGraw-Hill Companies). He served as chief executive officer of the company ...

, current chairman, president & CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies and great-grandson of its co-founder, James H. McGraw In other fields: *

Jennie McGraw Jennie McGraw, also Jennie McGraw Fiske, (September 14, 1840 – September 30, 1881) was the daughter of John McGraw, millionaire philanthropist to Cornell University and Rhoda Charlotte Southworth. In 1868, she gave the university a set of ch ...

, daughter of John McGraw *

John McGraw (merchant) John McGraw (22 May 1815 - 4 May 1877) was a wealthy New York State lumber merchant, philanthropist, early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University. Early years John McGraw was born in Dryden, NY in the year 1815 to Joseph McGraw and Jane Nel ...

, New York lumber tycoon * John McGraw (brigadier general) * Myrtle Byram McGraw (1899–1988), American psychologist *

Phil McGraw Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased rene ...

(born 1950), American psychologist and TV personality * Thomas "Tam" McGraw (1952–2007), Scottish fugitive

References

{{Reflist Anglicised Irish-language surnames de:McGraw

See also

References