NameCensus.

UK surname

Macarthur

Son of Arthur, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.

In the 1881 census there were 457 people recorded with the Macarthur surname, ranking it #7,240 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,846, ranked #3,436, up from #7,240 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lochs, Govan Combination and Kilfinichen and Iona. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northwest Lewis, Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree and Stornoway East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macarthur is 1,846 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 303.9%.

1881 census count

457

Ranked #7,240

Modern count

1,846

2016, ranked #3,436

Peak year

2016

1,846 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macarthur had 457 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,240 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,846 in 2016, ranked #3,436.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 808 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macarthur surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macarthur surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macarthur 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 453 #5,441
1861 historical 380 #6,726
1881 historical 457 #7,240
1891 historical 615 #6,260
1901 historical 808 #5,583
1911 historical 272 #12,205
1997 modern 1,670 #3,564
1998 modern 1,759 #3,528
1999 modern 1,749 #3,571
2000 modern 1,760 #3,538
2001 modern 1,726 #3,527
2002 modern 1,790 #3,479
2003 modern 1,711 #3,560
2004 modern 1,683 #3,615
2005 modern 1,706 #3,531
2006 modern 1,683 #3,576
2007 modern 1,736 #3,517
2008 modern 1,731 #3,542
2009 modern 1,757 #3,573
2010 modern 1,805 #3,559
2011 modern 1,762 #3,589
2012 modern 1,740 #3,570
2013 modern 1,791 #3,545
2014 modern 1,838 #3,494
2015 modern 1,838 #3,472
2016 modern 1,846 #3,436

Geography

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Where Macarthurs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lochs, Govan Combination, Kilfinichen and Iona, Edinburgh and Kilmore and Kilbride. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northwest Lewis, Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Stornoway East, Whisky Isles and Stornoway West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lochs Ross And Cromarty
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Kilfinichen and Iona Argyll
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kilmore and Kilbride Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northwest Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree Argyll and Bute
3 Stornoway East Na h-Eileanan Siar
4 Whisky Isles Argyll and Bute
5 Stornoway West Na h-Eileanan Siar

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macarthur

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macarthur

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

Macarthur 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

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

Meaning and origin of Macarthur

The surname MacArthur has its origins in Scotland and is a hereditary surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Arthur, meaning "bear" or "champion." The prefix "Mac" or "Mc" means "son of," indicating that the bearer of the name was the son of someone named Arthur.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname MacArthur can be traced back to the late 12th century and early 13th century. One of the earliest known mentions is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage to Edward I of England, where the name appears as "Mattheu M'Artur."

The MacArthur surname is closely associated with the historical region of Argyll in western Scotland. The clan was particularly prominent in the areas around the islands of Islay and Jura, where they held significant lands and influence.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname MacArthur. One of the earliest recorded was John MacArthur, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the late 16th century and served as the minister of Strathmiglo parish in Fife.

Another prominent figure was Sir John MacArthur (1767-1834), a Scottish-born merchant and entrepreneur who established a successful business empire in colonial New South Wales, Australia. He played a significant role in the early development of the Australian wool industry.

In more recent times, General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) was a highly decorated American military leader who played a crucial role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He famously led the Allied forces during the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the liberation of the Philippines.

Other notable individuals with the surname include John MacArthur (1897-1978), a Scottish-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, and John F. MacArthur Jr. (born 1939), an American evangelical writer and pastor.

Throughout its history, the MacArthur surname has been associated with various place names and ancestral lands in Scotland, such as the Isle of Islay, the village of Strathmiglo, and the region of Argyll.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macarthur families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macarthur 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. Ross-shire leads with 88 Macarthurs recorded in 1881 and an index of 91.51x.

County Total Index
Ross-shire 88 91.51x
Lanarkshire 59 5.21x
Argyllshire 43 44.11x
Middlesex 28 0.80x
Lancashire 20 0.48x
Nairnshire 16 149.67x
Inverness-shire 14 13.39x
Midlothian 14 2.98x
Surrey 14 0.82x
Ayrshire 11 4.20x
Renfrewshire 7 2.58x
Perthshire 6 3.82x
Yorkshire 6 0.17x
Buteshire 5 23.56x
Suffolk 5 1.17x
Fife 4 1.93x
Derbyshire 3 0.55x
Kent 3 0.25x
Sussex 3 0.51x
Hertfordshire 2 0.83x
Morayshire 2 3.68x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.31x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.68x
Cheshire 1 0.13x
Devon 1 0.14x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.06x
Lincolnshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lochs in Ross-shire leads with 62 Macarthurs recorded in 1881 and an index of 809.40x.

Place Total Index
Lochs 62 809.40x
Govan 41 14.64x
Inveraray 15 1190.48x
Ardclach 12 895.52x
Tarbolton 9 208.82x
Inverchaolain 8 1632.65x
Pendleton In Salford 8 16.16x
Camberwell 7 3.13x
Barony 6 2.09x
Glasgow 6 2.98x
Hampstead London 6 11.00x
Knockbain 6 266.67x
Streatham 6 23.09x
Uig 6 137.61x
Barvas 5 77.88x
Blackburn 5 4.52x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 7.57x
Finchley 5 37.23x
Inverness 5 19.01x
Lochgoilhead 5 769.23x
Rothesay 5 48.64x
Southwold 5 198.41x
West Calder 5 54.05x
Edinburgh New North 4 98.04x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 2.12x
Glenorchy Inishail 4 353.98x
Kincardine 4 246.91x
Nairn 4 61.63x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 26.39x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 4 24.81x
Stornoway 4 31.92x
Strachur Stralachlan 4 493.83x
Belper 3 28.22x
Cathcart 3 20.44x
Croy Dalcross 3 144.93x
East Greenock 3 11.71x
Fearn 3 117.19x
Islington London 3 0.88x
Kensington London 3 1.54x
Maryhill 3 13.53x
Brighton 2 1.68x
Cheetham 2 6.45x
Ealing 2 6.39x
Glassary 2 38.10x
Kilmuir 2 65.15x
Kilrenny 2 52.22x
New Monkland 2 5.97x
Portree 2 51.68x
Rochester St Margaret 2 15.87x
St Andrews 2 21.21x
St Andrews Lhanbryd 2 119.05x
St Bride London 2 98.04x
Tyree 2 60.24x
Ampleforth Oswaldkirk 1 285.71x
Ardrossan 1 11.03x
Beckenham 1 6.40x
Broadwater 1 7.39x
Bushey 1 17.39x
Callander 1 38.61x
Dalavich 1 370.37x
Dingwall 1 36.90x
Dumbarton 1 7.63x
Hemel Hempstead 1 9.19x
Horncastle 1 17.30x
Keighley 1 2.70x
Kilchoman 1 32.68x
Kilmonivaig 1 43.10x
Kilninian Kilmore 1 33.44x
Kincardine 1 56.50x
Llannon 1 49.51x
Logie 1 17.73x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 1 11.25x
Shotts 1 7.38x
Snizort 1 38.31x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.42x
Spitalfields London 1 3.80x
St Marylebone London 1 0.53x
Stoke Damerel 1 1.96x
West Greenock 1 2.05x
Westminster St Margaret 1 5.92x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 4
John 4
Alexander 3
Thomas 3
William 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Daniel 2
Duncan 2
George 2
Donald 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
J.Thomas 1
Joseph 1
Lewis 1
Rbt.Jno. 1
Robert 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Macarthur surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macarthur surname in 1881?

In 1881, 457 people were recorded with the Macarthur surname. That placed it at #7,240 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macarthur surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,846 in 2016. That gives Macarthur a modern rank of #3,436.

What does the Macarthur surname mean?

Son of Arthur, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.

What does the Macarthur map show?

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