NameCensus.

UK surname

Macaskill

A Scottish surname meaning "son of the bald or tonsured monk."

In the 1881 census there were 365 people recorded with the Macaskill surname, ranking it #8,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,469, ranked #4,191, up from #8,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lochs, Bracadale and Duirnish. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Skye North West, Point and Harris.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macaskill is 1,469 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 302.5%.

1881 census count

365

Ranked #8,506

Modern count

1,469

2016, ranked #4,191

Peak year

2016

1,469 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macaskill had 365 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,469 in 2016, ranked #4,191.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 382 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macaskill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macaskill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macaskill 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 155 #12,604
1861 historical 145 #15,715
1881 historical 365 #8,506
1891 historical 377 #9,302
1901 historical 382 #9,775
1911 historical 35 #29,478
1997 modern 1,106 #5,042
1998 modern 1,184 #4,936
1999 modern 1,211 #4,890
2000 modern 1,237 #4,780
2001 modern 1,205 #4,787
2002 modern 1,248 #4,736
2003 modern 1,219 #4,743
2004 modern 1,194 #4,829
2005 modern 1,215 #4,714
2006 modern 1,219 #4,716
2007 modern 1,242 #4,683
2008 modern 1,244 #4,699
2009 modern 1,278 #4,683
2010 modern 1,295 #4,721
2011 modern 1,286 #4,696
2012 modern 1,373 #4,372
2013 modern 1,410 #4,343
2014 modern 1,451 #4,281
2015 modern 1,463 #4,225
2016 modern 1,469 #4,191

Geography

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Where Macaskills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lochs, Bracadale, Duirnish, South Uist and Stornoway. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Skye North West, Point, Harris, Benbecula and North Uist and Skye South. 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 Bracadale Inverness
3 Duirnish Inverness
4 South Uist Inverness
5 Stornoway Ross And Cromarty

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Skye North West Highland
2 Point Na h-Eileanan Siar
3 Harris Na h-Eileanan Siar
4 Benbecula and North Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
5 Skye South Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macaskill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macaskill

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Macaskill is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macaskill is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Macaskill

The surname MacAskill has its origin in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Askill," which means "son of the ash-tree man." This suggests that the name's ancestors may have lived near an ash tree or in an area where ash trees were abundant.

The name first appeared in historical records on the Isle of Skye, located off the northwest coast of Scotland. It is believed that the MacAskills were part of the Clan MacLeod, one of the largest and most influential clans in the Scottish Highlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, a 17th-century chronicle that mentions a "Donald MacAskill" participating in a battle in 1647. Another early reference is found in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, which includes a "John MacAskill" from the Isle of Skye in 1681.

Notable bearers of the MacAskill surname throughout history include:

1. Dugald MacAskill (1766-1845), a Scottish sailor known for his incredible feats of strength, including carrying a ship's anchor weighing over 300 pounds.

2. John MacAskill (1840-1914), a Scottish-born immigrant to New Zealand who became a prominent figure in the fishing industry and contributed to the development of the town of Riverton.

3. Norman MacAskill (1867-1944), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1917.

4. John Angus MacAskill (1898-1986), a Canadian historian and author who wrote extensively about the history of the Scottish Highlands and the Clan MacLeod.

5. Donald MacAskill (1918-2004), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations in Canada.

While the name MacAskill has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly due to Scottish emigration. However, its history and significance remain deeply intertwined with the Scottish Highlands and the legacy of the Clan MacLeod.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macaskill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macaskill 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. Inverness-shire leads with 260 Macaskills recorded in 1881 and an index of 255.00x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 260 255.00x
Ross-shire 56 59.73x
Renfrewshire 25 9.45x
Buckinghamshire 7 3.39x
Lanarkshire 2 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. Bernera in Inverness-shire leads with 90 Macaskills recorded in 1881 and an index of 16981.13x.

Place Total Index
Bernera 90 16981.13x
Duirinish 55 1057.69x
Harris 45 878.91x
Stornoway 36 294.60x
South Uist 29 407.88x
Trumisgarry 28 2718.45x
West Greenock 20 42.11x
Gairloch 14 259.26x
Wycombe 7 45.48x
Abbey 5 12.39x
Barvas 5 79.87x
Glenelg 4 213.90x
North Uist 4 100.50x
Portree 3 79.58x
Govan 2 0.73x
Glenshiel 1 200.00x
Inverness 1 3.90x
Snizort 1 39.37x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emily 2
Alice 1
Fanny 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Angus 1
Charles 1
Henry 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 Macaskill households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 3
Stud Groom N D 1

FAQ

Macaskill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macaskill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 365 people were recorded with the Macaskill surname. That placed it at #8,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macaskill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,469 in 2016. That gives Macaskill a modern rank of #4,191.

What does the Macaskill surname mean?

A Scottish surname meaning "son of the bald or tonsured monk."

What does the Macaskill map show?

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