NameCensus.

UK surname

Macallister

Scottish surname meaning "son of the brewers servant".

In the 1881 census there were 64 people recorded with the Macallister surname, ranking it #24,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 381, ranked #12,317, up from #24,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oban South, Dingwall and Whisky Isles.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macallister is 381 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 495.3%.

1881 census count

64

Ranked #24,561

Modern count

381

2016, ranked #12,317

Peak year

2016

381 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macallister had 64 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 381 in 2016, ranked #12,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 141 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Macallister surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macallister surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macallister 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 64 #24,561
1891 historical 141 #19,108
1901 historical 132 #19,469
1911 historical 47 #28,110
1997 modern 367 #11,751
1998 modern 355 #12,418
1999 modern 332 #13,075
2000 modern 343 #12,746
2001 modern 326 #13,006
2002 modern 325 #13,275
2003 modern 320 #13,239
2004 modern 309 #13,618
2005 modern 321 #13,195
2006 modern 324 #13,183
2007 modern 329 #13,168
2008 modern 343 #12,899
2009 modern 369 #12,447
2010 modern 368 #12,750
2011 modern 372 #12,519
2012 modern 369 #12,443
2013 modern 372 #12,570
2014 modern 380 #12,449
2015 modern 374 #12,495
2016 modern 381 #12,317

Geography

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Where Macallisters are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Oban South, Dingwall, Whisky Isles, Oban North and Ross and Cromarty Central. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Kilmory Bute

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oban South Argyll and Bute
2 Dingwall Highland
3 Whisky Isles Argyll and Bute
4 Oban North Argyll and Bute
5 Ross and Cromarty Central Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macallister

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macallister

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Macallister surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Macallister household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Macallister is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macallister 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

Macallister falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macallister is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Macallister

The surname MACALLISTER is of Scottish origin, dating back to the late 12th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic surname MacAlasdair, which means "son of Alasdair" or "son of Alexander." The name originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides islands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1476, where a certain John Makealistir is mentioned. The surname has undergone various spellings throughout history, including MacAlister, MacAllaster, and McAllister.

In the 16th century, the MacAllisters were part of the Clan Donald, one of the most powerful clans in the Western Isles of Scotland. They held lands in the islands of Islay and Kintyre. During this time, the MacAllisters were known for their involvement in clan conflicts and raids against neighboring clans.

Notable individuals with the surname MACALLISTER include:

1. Angus MacAllister (c. 1506 - c. 1560), a Scottish clergyman and poet who served as the Bishop of Brechin. 2. Archibald MacAllister (1866 - 1947), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada. 3. Sir Archibald MacAllister (1880 - 1950), a Scottish educator and principal of the University of St Andrews from 1928 to 1943. 4. Rufus Daniel MacAllister (1867 - 1944), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Florida. 5. William MacAllister (1897 - 1971), a Scottish painter and artist known for his landscapes and portraits.

The name MACALLISTER has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, including MacAllister's Cross on the Isle of Islay, which commemorates a battle between the MacAllisters and the MacDonalds in the 16th century.

While the name MACALLISTER has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish migration and immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides islands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macallister families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macallister 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. Lanarkshire leads with 33 Macallisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.02x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 33 19.02x
Kent 6 3.28x
Isle of Man 4 40.16x
Inverness-shire 3 18.73x
Lancashire 2 0.31x
Midlothian 2 2.78x
Northumberland 2 2.51x
Renfrewshire 2 4.81x
Durham 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 19 Macallisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.28x.

Place Total Index
Barony 19 43.28x
Govan 11 25.64x
Deptford St Nicholas 6 413.79x
Onchan 4 139.37x
Inverness 3 74.44x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 6.92x
Glasgow 2 6.49x
Bothwell 1 21.28x
Kilbarchan 1 79.37x
Kirkdale 1 9.34x
Morpeth 1 106.38x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 24.15x
Toxteth Park 1 4.64x
West Greenock 1 13.40x
Witton Gilbert 1 158.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Catherine 1
Elizabth. 1
Ellen 1
Jane 1
Lylie 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Chas. 1
Henry 1
Mark 1
William 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 Macallister households.

FAQ

Macallister surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macallister surname in 1881?

In 1881, 64 people were recorded with the Macallister surname. That placed it at #24,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macallister surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 381 in 2016. That gives Macallister a modern rank of #12,317.

What does the Macallister surname mean?

Scottish surname meaning "son of the brewers servant".

What does the Macallister map show?

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