NameCensus.

UK surname

Macalister

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "Alasdair", meaning defender or protector of the people.

In the 1881 census there were 151 people recorded with the Macalister surname, ranking it #15,419 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 376, ranked #12,437, up from #15,419 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Killean and Kilchenzie, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arran, Kintyre Trail and Dunoon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macalister is 393 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 149.0%.

1881 census count

151

Ranked #15,419

Modern count

376

2016, ranked #12,437

Peak year

2010

393 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macalister had 151 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,419 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 376 in 2016, ranked #12,437.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 207 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macalister surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macalister surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macalister 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 150 #12,905
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 151 #15,419
1891 historical 193 #15,335
1901 historical 207 #14,803
1911 historical 109 #21,611
1997 modern 369 #11,690
1998 modern 383 #11,748
1999 modern 365 #12,245
2000 modern 388 #11,664
2001 modern 369 #11,928
2002 modern 381 #11,865
2003 modern 365 #12,038
2004 modern 361 #12,175
2005 modern 364 #12,008
2006 modern 360 #12,198
2007 modern 367 #12,152
2008 modern 367 #12,264
2009 modern 385 #12,070
2010 modern 393 #12,157
2011 modern 380 #12,326
2012 modern 361 #12,647
2013 modern 373 #12,550
2014 modern 373 #12,633
2015 modern 377 #12,428
2016 modern 376 #12,437

Geography

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Where Macalisters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Killean and Kilchenzie, Govan Combination, London parishes, Strath and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arran, Kintyre Trail, Dunoon, Ellon East and Knapdale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Killean and Kilchenzie Argyll
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Strath Inverness
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arran North Ayrshire
2 Kintyre Trail Argyll and Bute
3 Dunoon Argyll and Bute
4 Ellon East Aberdeenshire
5 Knapdale Argyll and Bute

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macalister

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macalister

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Macalister, 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 Macalister surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Macalister 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, Macalister 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

Macalister is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Macalister

The surname MACALISTER originated in Scotland during the 9th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Alasdair," which means "son of Alasdair." Alasdair is the Gaelic form of the name Alexander, derived from the Greek name Alexandros.

The name MACALISTER is believed to have first appeared in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides. It is associated with the Clan MacDonald, one of the largest and most powerful clans in the Western Isles of Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MACALISTER can be found in the Book of Clanranald, a 17th-century manuscript detailing the history of the Clan Ranald, a branch of the Clan Donald. The manuscript mentions several individuals with the name MACALISTER serving as warriors and chieftains within the clan.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Angus MACALISTER of Loup was recorded as a supporter of the Lord of the Isles during the Scottish clan battles. Another individual, John MACALISTER of Strathaird, fought alongside the Earl of Argyll during the Scottish Civil War in the 17th century.

One of the most famous individuals with the MACALISTER surname was Sir Archibald MACALISTER (1856-1935), a British anatomist and anthropologist. He served as the principal of the University of Glasgow and made significant contributions to the study of human anatomy and physical anthropology.

Other notable individuals include: 1. John Young Sime MACALISTER (1856-1925), a Scottish theologian and professor at the University of Cambridge. 2. Donald MACALISTER (1854-1934), a Scottish classical scholar and archaeologist who conducted excavations in Palestine. 3. Alexander MACALISTER (1844-1925), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island. 4. Lancelot MACALISTER (1879-1956), a British military officer and archaeologist who worked in Palestine and Syria.

The surname MACALISTER has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Kilmory in Islay and Strathaird on the Isle of Skye, where branches of the Clan Donald settled.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macalister families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macalister 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. Renfrewshire leads with 18 Macalisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.77x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 18 16.77x
Lanarkshire 16 3.57x
Lancashire 16 0.97x
Inverness-shire 15 36.27x
Yorkshire 11 0.80x
Devon 10 3.47x
Ayrshire 7 6.75x
Essex 7 2.56x
Midlothian 7 3.77x
Argyllshire 6 15.56x
Cumberland 6 5.03x
Dumfriesshire 5 16.34x
Ross-shire 5 13.15x
Dunbartonshire 3 8.06x
Buteshire 2 23.84x
Kent 2 0.42x
Caithness 1 5.27x
Durham 1 0.24x
Hampshire 1 0.35x
Herefordshire 1 1.76x
Middlesex 1 0.07x
Stirlingshire 1 1.96x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Uist in Inverness-shire leads with 15 Macalisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 519.03x.

Place Total Index
South Uist 15 519.03x
Heap 9 103.21x
Abbey 7 42.74x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 9.38x
Oakford 7 2916.67x
West Ham 7 11.60x
Cathcart 6 103.27x
Crosscanonby 6 152.28x
Glenorchy Inishail 6 1333.33x
Barony 5 4.41x
Bothwell 5 41.15x
Kincardine 5 714.29x
Lochmaben 5 373.13x
West Greenock 5 25.95x
Govan 4 3.61x
Kilmarnock 4 32.41x
Leeds 4 5.16x
Middlesbrough 4 22.38x
Cumbernauld 3 147.06x
Openshaw 3 38.96x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 13.51x
Saddleworth 3 28.33x
Wavertree 3 57.03x
Margate St John Baptist 2 23.12x
Monkton Prestwick 2 198.02x
Rothesay 2 49.26x
Colwall 1 142.86x
Hamilton 1 8.01x
Heworth 1 12.32x
Hound 1 51.81x
Irvine 1 34.72x
Kirkdale 1 3.62x
Latheron 1 31.55x
Muiravonside 1 76.92x
Rutherglen 1 15.22x
St George Hanover 1 5.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 2
Mary 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Augusta 1
Blanche 1
Dinah 1
Elizabeth 1
Francis 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Mercy 1
Nannie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Robert 3
William 3
David 2
George 2
Alex 1
Angus 1
Donald 1
Dugald 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Samul 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 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 Macalister households.

FAQ

Macalister surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macalister surname in 1881?

In 1881, 151 people were recorded with the Macalister surname. That placed it at #15,419 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macalister surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 376 in 2016. That gives Macalister a modern rank of #12,437.

What does the Macalister surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "Alasdair", meaning defender or protector of the people.

What does the Macalister map show?

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