NameCensus.

UK surname

Buchan

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place of the same name, meaning "cow pasture" in Gaelic.

In the 1881 census there were 3,893 people recorded with the Buchan surname, ranking it #1,168 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,653, ranked #1,016, up from #1,168 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rathen, Edinburgh and Lonmay. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rosehearty and Strathbeg, Peterhead Harbour and Peterhead Ugieside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Buchan is 6,653 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.9%.

1881 census count

3,893

Ranked #1,168

Modern count

6,653

2016, ranked #1,016

Peak year

2016

6,653 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Buchan had 3,893 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,168 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,653 in 2016, ranked #1,016.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,012 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Buchan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Buchan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Buchan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Buchan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,363 #1,263
1861 historical 2,538 #1,152
1881 historical 3,893 #1,168
1891 historical 4,445 #1,062
1901 historical 5,012 #1,123
1911 historical 800 #5,472
1997 modern 6,235 #1,053
1998 modern 6,483 #1,051
1999 modern 6,450 #1,064
2000 modern 6,513 #1,052
2001 modern 6,294 #1,060
2002 modern 6,384 #1,071
2003 modern 6,260 #1,067
2004 modern 6,296 #1,061
2005 modern 6,346 #1,032
2006 modern 6,279 #1,046
2007 modern 6,351 #1,041
2008 modern 6,348 #1,046
2009 modern 6,441 #1,058
2010 modern 6,594 #1,048
2011 modern 6,523 #1,046
2012 modern 6,377 #1,049
2013 modern 6,511 #1,048
2014 modern 6,620 #1,034
2015 modern 6,621 #1,025
2016 modern 6,653 #1,016

Geography

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Where Buchans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rathen, Edinburgh, Lonmay, Fraserburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rosehearty and Strathbeg, Peterhead Harbour, Peterhead Ugieside, Fraserburgh Smiddyhill and Peterhead Links. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rathen Aberdeen
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Lonmay Aberdeen
4 Fraserburgh Aberdeen
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rosehearty and Strathbeg Aberdeenshire
2 Peterhead Harbour Aberdeenshire
3 Peterhead Ugieside Aberdeenshire
4 Fraserburgh Smiddyhill Aberdeenshire
5 Peterhead Links Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Buchan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Buchan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Buchan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Buchan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Buchan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Buchan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Buchan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Buchan is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Buchan falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Buchan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Buchan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Buchan

The surname Buchan originates from Scotland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Scottish place name Buchan, which refers to a district in Aberdeenshire, located in the northeastern part of the country. The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "bùthan," meaning "little hut" or "small dwelling."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Buchan can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The Rolls mention several individuals with the surname Buchan, including John de Buchan and William de Buchan.

In the 14th century, the Buchan family played a significant role in Scottish history. Sir Alexander de Buchan was a prominent figure during the Wars of Scottish Independence and fought alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Sir Alexander's son, John de Buchan, was appointed as the Justiciar of Scotland by King David II in 1368.

The Buchans were also associated with the Earldom of Buchan, a historic Scottish peerage title. One notable holder of the title was John Stewart, Earl of Buchan (1489-1551), who was a prominent Scottish nobleman and Lord High Treasurer of Scotland during the reign of King James V.

Another famous individual with the surname Buchan was Elspeth Buchan (c. 1738-1791), a Scottish author and poet who is considered one of the earliest female writers in Scottish literature. Her works, including "Elegies on the Death of Family and Friends," offer insights into the lives of women in 18th-century Scotland.

In the 19th century, John Buchan (1875-1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, and politician who served as the Governor General of Canada from 1935 to 1940. He is best known for his popular adventure novel "The Thirty-Nine Steps," which was later adapted into several films.

Other notable individuals with the surname Buchan include David Buchan (1777-1838), a Scottish historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of Scotland, and Norman de Buchan (c. 1285-1361), a Scottish cleric and Bishop of Sodor and Man in the 14th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Buchan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Buchan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Aberdeenshire leads with 1,881 Buchans recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.79x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 1,881 53.79x
Midlothian 330 6.52x
Lanarkshire 251 2.06x
Angus 191 5.46x
Perthshire 159 9.38x
Middlesex 135 0.36x
Fife 116 5.19x
Lancashire 77 0.17x
Stirlingshire 72 5.17x
Banffshire 65 8.30x
Northumberland 51 0.91x
Surrey 48 0.26x
Kincardineshire 42 9.13x
Renfrewshire 28 0.96x
Gloucestershire 27 0.36x
Clackmannanshire 25 8.02x
Hampshire 23 0.30x
Dunbartonshire 22 2.17x
Yorkshire 22 0.06x
Devon 19 0.24x
Selkirkshire 19 5.56x
Ayrshire 18 0.64x
Roxburghshire 18 2.63x
Argyllshire 16 1.52x
West Lothian 16 2.81x
Sussex 15 0.24x
Durham 14 0.12x
East Lothian 14 2.80x
Kinross-shire 14 14.67x
Kent 12 0.09x
Orkney 12 2.89x
Dorset 9 0.36x
Staffordshire 9 0.07x
Essex 8 0.11x
Morayshire 8 1.36x
Peeblesshire 8 4.50x
Royal Navy 7 1.56x
Bedfordshire 6 0.31x
Ross-shire 6 0.58x
Shetland 6 1.56x
Caithness 5 0.97x
Cornwall 5 0.12x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 0.91x
Cheshire 4 0.05x
Derbyshire 4 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.08x
Wigtownshire 4 0.80x
Herefordshire 3 0.19x
Norfolk 3 0.05x
Warwickshire 3 0.03x
Buteshire 2 0.87x
Sutherland 2 0.69x
Berkshire 1 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.12x
Inverness-shire 1 0.09x
Isle of Man 1 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.08x
Suffolk 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Peterhead in Aberdeenshire leads with 607 Buchans recorded in 1881 and an index of 328.23x.

Place Total Index
Peterhead 607 328.23x
Lonmay 304 957.48x
Rathen 240 655.02x
Fraserburgh 120 121.90x
Pitsligo 102 305.12x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 95 14.52x
Aberdeen Old Machar 89 12.19x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 82 4.03x
South Leith 74 13.00x
Liff Benvie 66 12.43x
Barony 54 1.75x
Bothwell 50 15.10x
Govan 47 1.56x
Old Deer 44 66.40x
Cruden 43 95.49x
Dalkeith 34 34.07x
Brechin 32 23.28x
Glasgow 32 1.48x
Markinch 31 40.85x
Longside 30 71.84x
Ellon 28 58.21x
Auchterless 24 86.46x
Longforgan 24 100.17x
Colinton 22 39.00x
Dundee 21 1.61x
Perth East Church 21 13.14x
Stirling 21 11.96x
St Ninians 20 14.49x
Islington London 18 0.49x
Old Monkland 18 3.71x
Poplar London 17 2.39x
St Fergus 17 85.90x
Melrose 16 18.61x
West Greenock 16 3.05x
Cluny 15 89.18x
Falkirk 15 4.60x
Lambeth 15 0.46x
Wemyss 15 15.86x
Alloa 14 9.26x
Forgue 14 44.57x
Marnoch 14 33.29x
Ardwick 13 3.22x
Benwell 13 21.17x
Clifton 13 3.47x
North Leith 13 5.55x
Scone 13 43.19x
Belhelvie 12 50.19x
Bromley London 12 1.44x
Byker 12 4.32x
Edinburgh St Marys 12 12.20x
St Mary Extra 12 19.26x
Auchterhouse 11 127.76x
Duddingston 11 10.83x
Edinburgh St Andrews 11 26.33x
Foveran 11 41.56x
King Edward 11 27.30x
Liverpool 11 0.40x
Newcastle On Tyne St 11 3.78x
Perth West Church 11 13.68x
Portmoak 11 81.06x
St Vigeans 11 5.83x
Strathmiglo 11 41.17x
Cambuslang 10 8.12x
Cockpen 10 16.91x
Crimond 10 92.85x
Hammersmith London 10 1.08x
Lasswade 10 8.65x
Newington 10 0.72x
Tillicoultry 10 14.42x
Auchtermuchty 9 29.97x
Bethnal Green London 9 0.55x
Hamilton 9 2.64x
Monquhitter 9 24.86x
Perth Middle Church 9 14.12x
Salford 9 0.68x
Southwark St John 9 7.79x
Banchory Devenick 8 18.63x
Camberwell 8 0.33x
Kinghorn 8 16.86x
Nigg 8 21.03x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Buchan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 31
Elizabeth 19
Jane 16
Margaret 16
Sarah 12
Ann 9
Ellen 8
Emma 7
Annie 6
Caroline 6
Catherine 6
Isabella 6
Alice 5
Jessie 5
Ada 4
Amy 4
Helen 4
Maria 4
Anne 3
Eliza 3
Emily 3
Louisa 3
Susannah 3
A. 2
Amelia 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Janet 2
Laura 2
Phoebe 2
Rose 2
Susan 2
Augusta 1
Barbara 1
Bessie 1
Dorcas 1
Elisa 1
Elizth. 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Harriet 1
Hilda 1
Honor 1
Hope 1
Jeanne 1
Jemima 1
Sussanna 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Buchan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 38
William 34
George 21
James 16
Robert 13
Charles 11
Thomas 11
Henry 10
Arthur 7
Alexander 6
Joseph 6
Ernest 5
Peter 5
Edward 4
Richard 4
Alfred 3
David 3
Herbert 3
Horace 3
Anthony 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
G. 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Percy 2
Stewart 2
Sydney 2
Alex. 1
Allen 1
Andrew 1
C.A. 1
Chas. 1
Donald 1
Douglas 1
Edmund 1
Fredrick 1
Gabriel 1
Geo.C. 1
Harold 1
Herrmann 1
J.A. 1
Machael 1
Matthew 1
Pascoe 1
Patrick 1
Percia 1
Rd. 1
Samuel 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Buchan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Buchan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,893 people were recorded with the Buchan surname. That placed it at #1,168 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Buchan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,653 in 2016. That gives Buchan a modern rank of #1,016.

What does the Buchan surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place of the same name, meaning "cow pasture" in Gaelic.

What does the Buchan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Buchan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.