NameCensus.

UK surname

Mac

A prefix surname indicating the bearer is a son of a person with a name beginning with "C".

In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Mac surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 531, ranked #9,559, up from #26,009 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and Rugby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mac is 531 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 883.3%.

1881 census count

54

Ranked #26,009

Modern count

531

2016, ranked #9,559

Peak year

2016

531 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mac had 54 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,009 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 531 in 2016, ranked #9,559.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 69 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Mac surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mac surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mac 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 69 #21,148
1881 historical 54 #26,009
1891 historical 2 #34,436
1901 historical 53 #28,271
1997 modern 147 #21,393
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 164 #20,621
2000 modern 162 #20,735
2001 modern 158 #20,788
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 168 #20,171
2004 modern 180 #19,424
2005 modern 187 #18,924
2006 modern 184 #19,254
2007 modern 194 #18,855
2008 modern 184 #19,666
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 214 #18,601
2011 modern 260 #16,188
2012 modern 354 #12,851
2013 modern 409 #11,714
2014 modern 430 #11,323
2015 modern 463 #10,602
2016 modern 531 #9,559

Geography

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Where Macs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Rugby, Lewes and Hinckley and Bosworth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waltham Forest 020 Waltham Forest
2 Tower Hamlets 031 Tower Hamlets
3 Rugby 001 Rugby
4 Lewes 013 Lewes
5 Hinckley and Bosworth 014 Hinckley and Bosworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mac

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mac

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Mac surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Mac household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mac 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

Mac 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

Mac falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mac 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
Asian - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Mac

Mac is a prefix that originated from the Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the word 'mac' which means 'son of'. This prefix was commonly used in Scottish and Irish surnames to indicate the paternal lineage of an individual.

The surname Mac has its roots in the Highlands of Scotland, where clans and families would use this prefix to denote their ancestral ties. It is believed to have emerged as early as the 12th century, during the rise of the feudal system in Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mac can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a series of parchment rolls that documented the swearing of fealty to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners in the late 13th century. Several individuals with the surname Mac, or variations of it, are listed in these rolls.

The Mac surname is also closely associated with various Scottish place names, such as Macbeth (from the town of Beith), Macdonald (from the Gaelic 'Domhnall'), and Macgregor (from the Gaelic 'Griogair'). These place names often reflected the origins or territories of the clans bearing these surnames.

Notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Mac include:

1. Alasdair Mac Colla (c. 1610-1647), a Scottish military leader during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. 2. Flora Macdonald (1722-1790), a Scottish Jacobite heroine who assisted Bonnie Prince Charlie in his escape after the Battle of Culloden. 3. John Macadam (1756-1836), a Scottish engineer and road builder who pioneered the use of crushed stone for road construction, leading to the term 'macadamized road'. 4. George Macartney (1737-1806), an Irish diplomat and statesman who served as the Governor of the British territories in West Africa and the Caribbean. 5. Andrew Macbeth (c. 1604-1657), a Scottish minister and author who wrote a notable work on the Scottish Reformation.

The surname Mac has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, such as Mack, Mc, and M', reflecting regional dialectal differences and personal preferences. However, the core meaning and significance of the prefix have remained intact, representing a powerful connection to Scottish and Irish heritage and ancestry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mac families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mac 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. Lancashire leads with 8 Macs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8 1.57x
Middlesex 7 1.63x
Northamptonshire 4 9.91x
Channel Islands 3 23.58x
Glamorgan 3 4.01x
Suffolk 3 5.74x
Surrey 3 1.43x
Yorkshire 3 0.71x
Cheshire 2 2.11x
Angus 1 2.52x
Lanarkshire 1 0.72x
Monmouthshire 1 3.22x
Royal Navy 1 19.57x
Somerset 1 1.45x
Staffordshire 1 0.69x
Warwickshire 1 0.92x
Wiltshire 1 2.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Northampton St Giles in Northamptonshire leads with 4 Macs recorded in 1881 and an index of 259.74x.

Place Total Index
Northampton St Giles 4 259.74x
Barking 3 1111.11x
Oldham 3 18.25x
St Marylebone London 3 13.09x
St Sampson 3 526.32x
Gelligaer 2 116.96x
Hulme 2 18.81x
Norland 2 689.66x
Stockport 2 40.98x
Toxteth Park 2 11.60x
Wandsworth 2 48.43x
Arbirlot 1 833.33x
Barony 1 2.85x
Birmingham 1 2.77x
Givendale 1 10000.00x
Manchester 1 4.37x
Mile End Old Town 1 14.77x
Putney 1 51.02x
Royal Navy 1 22.88x
St Botolph Bishopsgate 1 163.93x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 6.51x
Swindon 1 34.01x
Tythegston Higher 1 434.78x
Usk 1 384.62x
Wells St Cuthbert 1 212.77x
Westminster St 1 63.29x
Westminster St James 1 22.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Sarah 4
Ann 2
(Mrs) 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Hanora 1
Lissie 1
Maria 1
Miss 1
Mrs. 1
Polly 1
Rosa 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
Daniel 2
John 2
Patrick 2
William 2
(Mr) 1
Albert 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Micheal 1
Owen 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mac households.

FAQ

Mac surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mac surname in 1881?

In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Mac surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mac surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 531 in 2016. That gives Mac a modern rank of #9,559.

What does the Mac surname mean?

A prefix surname indicating the bearer is a son of a person with a name beginning with "C".

What does the Mac map show?

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