McCord

McCord is a surname of Scottish origin that has been adopted by many families and individuals in North America and elsewhere. As a family name it appears across a range of professions and public roles, contributing to its recognizability in various contexts.

Among notable individuals with the name is James W. McCord Jr., a former Central Intelligence Agency officer who became known in connection with the Watergate scandal. The surname also appears in literary, academic, and public life in other contexts, though no single figure defines its broader historical footprint.

One prominent institutional use of the name is the McCord Museum in Montreal, officially the McCord Museum of Canadian History. Located in Quebec, it preserves and presents Canadian social and cultural history through archives, artifacts, and exhibitions. The museum traces its origins to the collections and philanthropy of David Ross McCord, a Montreal financier and collector who contributed to its establishment as a public museum.

In addition to people and the museum, the name McCord appears in various geographic and local-use contexts, often named after individuals bearing the surname. These uses are typically regional and vary in prominence beyond their specific communities. Overall, McCord functions as both a surname with historical roots and a reference point for institutions and localities carrying the name.