NameCensus.

UK surname

Carnegie

An occupational name derived from the Anglo-Norman French for "quarry worker".

In the 1881 census there were 988 people recorded with the Carnegie surname, ranking it #3,949 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,324, ranked #4,534, down from #3,949 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forfar West, Mearns South and Benholm and Forfar Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Carnegie is 1,356 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.0%.

1881 census count

988

Ranked #3,949

Modern count

1,324

2016, ranked #4,534

Peak year

2010

1,356 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Carnegie had 988 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,949 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,324 in 2016, ranked #4,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,074 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Carnegie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Carnegie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Carnegie 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 579 #4,401
1861 historical 595 #4,454
1881 historical 988 #3,949
1891 historical 1,017 #4,088
1901 historical 1,074 #4,497
1911 historical 257 #12,658
1997 modern 1,132 #4,954
1998 modern 1,200 #4,875
1999 modern 1,217 #4,861
2000 modern 1,218 #4,833
2001 modern 1,197 #4,806
2002 modern 1,254 #4,723
2003 modern 1,225 #4,719
2004 modern 1,219 #4,750
2005 modern 1,243 #4,620
2006 modern 1,229 #4,675
2007 modern 1,231 #4,723
2008 modern 1,252 #4,668
2009 modern 1,288 #4,644
2010 modern 1,356 #4,526
2011 modern 1,337 #4,524
2012 modern 1,301 #4,574
2013 modern 1,315 #4,607
2014 modern 1,342 #4,542
2015 modern 1,333 #4,530
2016 modern 1,324 #4,534

Geography

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Where Carnegies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Brechin and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forfar West, Mearns South and Benholm, Forfar Central, Letham and Glamis and Friockheim. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Brechin Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forfar West Angus
2 Mearns South and Benholm Aberdeenshire
3 Forfar Central Angus
4 Letham and Glamis Angus
5 Friockheim Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Carnegie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Carnegie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Carnegie, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Carnegie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Carnegie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Carnegie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Carnegie is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Carnegie 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 Carnegie 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 Carnegie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Carnegie

The surname Carnegie is of Scottish origin, deriving from the lands of Carnegie in the parish of Carmyllie, Angus. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words 'carn' meaning 'hill' and 'eidh' meaning 'residence', suggesting it was initially a locational name given to someone who resided near a prominent hill or cairn.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the late 12th century, when a person named John de Carnegy is mentioned in the Arbroath Abbey Liber as a witness to a charter granted by King William the Lion. This suggests the family held lands in Angus at that time.

In the 13th century, the name is recorded as Carnegy, Carnagie, and Carnegi, indicating variations in spelling were common. The Carnegies of Kinnaird, near Brechin, became one of the principal branches of the family, with their estate passing down through generations.

One notable figure was Sir Robert Carnegie, who was knighted by King James VI in 1616 and later served as Lord of Session with the judicial title Lord Carnegie. His grandson, David Carnegie, Earl of Southesk, was a prominent Jacobite supporter during the 17th century uprisings.

Another branch of the family, the Carnegies of Finhaven, produced James Carnegie, 6th Earl of Southesk, who was a renowned agricultural improver and published several works on rural economy in the late 18th century.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the name was Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist and philanthropist born in 1835 in Dunfermline, Fife. He emigrated to the United States and amassed a vast fortune in the steel industry, later becoming one of the greatest philanthropists in history, donating millions to establish libraries, universities, and charitable organizations.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Dale Carnegie, the American writer and lecturer on self-improvement, and Hank Carnap, the American musician and songwriter known for his work with the bands Toto and Ambrosia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Carnegie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Carnegie 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. Angus leads with 370 Carnegies recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.65x.

County Total Index
Angus 370 41.65x
Kincardineshire 110 94.20x
Aberdeenshire 78 8.78x
Lanarkshire 73 2.35x
Fife 62 10.92x
Midlothian 50 3.89x
Middlesex 31 0.32x
Perthshire 28 6.51x
Northumberland 26 1.82x
Renfrewshire 23 3.10x
Yorkshire 13 0.14x
Berwickshire 12 10.33x
Durham 11 0.39x
Lancashire 9 0.08x
Banffshire 8 4.02x
Stirlingshire 8 2.26x
Surrey 8 0.17x
Derbyshire 7 0.47x
Kirkcudbrightshire 7 5.04x
Leicestershire 7 0.66x
Montgomeryshire 7 3.19x
Devon 6 0.30x
Kent 4 0.12x
Roxburghshire 4 2.30x
Essex 3 0.16x
Herefordshire 3 0.76x
Hertfordshire 3 0.45x
Peeblesshire 3 6.65x
Sussex 2 0.12x
Warwickshire 2 0.08x
Argyllshire 1 0.37x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.17x
Cumberland 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
West Lothian 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 66 Carnegies recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.90x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 66 19.90x
Montrose 61 113.30x
St Vigeans 37 77.16x
Brechin 36 103.12x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 30 18.06x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 30 5.80x
Arbroath 26 88.32x
Govan 26 3.39x
Dunfermline 22 25.21x
Glasgow 22 4.00x
Marykirk 22 456.43x
Barony 19 2.42x
Bervie 19 274.57x
Nigg 19 196.69x
Oathlaw 19 1292.52x
Forfar 18 37.42x
Peterhead 16 34.07x
Barry 14 131.33x
Dunnottar 14 170.32x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 14 16.43x
Cortachy 13 1171.17x
Menmuir 11 443.55x
Turriff 11 76.76x
Inverkeillor 10 181.49x
South Leith 10 6.92x
Tannadice 10 241.55x
Abbey 9 7.94x
Edrom 9 181.09x
Perth West Church 9 44.07x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 4.31x
Laurencekirk 8 118.34x
St Cyrus 8 163.93x
Carnbee 7 201.73x
Dysart 7 18.31x
Farnell 7 343.14x
Fetteresso 7 38.25x
Glenbervie 7 218.75x
Kibworth Beauchamp 7 189.70x
Leslie 7 48.71x
Newtown 7 49.82x
St Andrews 7 27.10x
Chesterfield 6 10.66x
East Greenock 6 8.55x
Kirkcaldy 6 21.31x
Lidford 6 66.96x
Newcastle On Tyne St 6 8.11x
St George Hanover Square 6 3.55x
Aberlemno 5 152.44x
Arbirlot 5 185.19x
Battersea 5 1.42x
Cadder 5 21.83x
Fettercairn 5 100.60x
Gateshead 5 2.34x
Kennethmont 5 151.52x
Liff Benvie 5 3.71x
Logie Pert 5 152.44x
Abroath St Vigeans 4 109.59x
Bendochy 4 170.94x
Cockpen 4 26.65x
Gargunnock 4 173.91x
Girthon 4 85.65x
Kelso 4 23.11x
Port Glasgow 4 11.14x
Rescobie 4 177.78x
Shoreditch London 4 0.96x
St Fergus 4 79.52x
Stirling 4 8.97x
Stracathro 4 248.45x
Thornton Watlass 4 666.67x
Wapping London 4 54.64x
Westminster St James 4 4.06x
Auckland St Andrew 3 39.84x
Caputh 3 44.31x
Culsalmond 3 109.89x
Elswick 3 2.63x
Islington London 3 0.32x
Kirkdale 3 1.57x
Perth Middle Church 3 18.53x
Rothbury 3 73.17x
West Rounton 3 416.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 9
Jane 6
Margaret 5
Mary 5
Agnes 4
Susanna 3
Ann 2
Clara 2
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Jessie 2
Lucy 2
A. 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Elizab. 1
Ethel 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Jeanie 1
Joanna 1
Johanna 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lirentya 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1
Thomasina 1
Thomasine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 15
James 9
William 8
David 6
Alexander 5
Charles 4
Robert 4
George 3
Archlaus 2
Arthur 2
Brisbane 2
Edward 2
Henry 2
(Lord) 1
Alfred 1
Cecil 1
D.A. 1
Douglas 1
Geo. 1
Gordon 1
Lancelot 1
P. 1
Richard 1
Rober 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Carnegie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Carnegie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 988 people were recorded with the Carnegie surname. That placed it at #3,949 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Carnegie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,324 in 2016. That gives Carnegie a modern rank of #4,534.

What does the Carnegie surname mean?

An occupational name derived from the Anglo-Norman French for "quarry worker".

What does the Carnegie map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Carnegie 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.