NameCensus.

UK surname

Macauley

An Irish surname derived from the prefix Mac, meaning "son of", combined with Auley, a personal name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 464 people recorded with the Macauley surname, ranking it #7,157 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 874, ranked #6,431, up from #7,157 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Salford and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macauley is 875 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 88.4%.

1881 census count

464

Ranked #7,157

Modern count

874

2016, ranked #6,431

Peak year

2015

875 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macauley had 464 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,157 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 874 in 2016, ranked #6,431.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 464 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Macauley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macauley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macauley 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 162 #12,215
1861 historical 158 #14,644
1881 historical 464 #7,157
1891 historical 177 #16,330
1901 historical 410 #9,322
1911 historical 221 #14,044
1997 modern 748 #6,898
1998 modern 750 #7,100
1999 modern 769 #7,002
2000 modern 793 #6,822
2001 modern 767 #6,863
2002 modern 796 #6,805
2003 modern 761 #6,927
2004 modern 770 #6,880
2005 modern 784 #6,708
2006 modern 773 #6,822
2007 modern 779 #6,839
2008 modern 807 #6,700
2009 modern 822 #6,726
2010 modern 853 #6,671
2011 modern 847 #6,639
2012 modern 821 #6,699
2013 modern 857 #6,588
2014 modern 861 #6,604
2015 modern 875 #6,449
2016 modern 874 #6,431

Geography

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Where Macauleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Eccles, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Salford, Manchester and Lambeth. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Salford 019 Salford
3 Manchester 049 Manchester
4 Manchester 050 Manchester
5 Lambeth 005 Lambeth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macauley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macauley

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Macauley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Macauley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Macauley 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

Macauley 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

Macauley falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macauley 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Macauley

The surname MACAULEY is of Scottish origin, derived from the personal name Aulay, which is a Gaelic form of the Latin name Olaus. The name is believed to have originated in the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands.

The prefix "Mac" in the name MACAULEY means "son of" in Gaelic, indicating that the name originally referred to the son of a person named Aulay. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Scottish records and manuscripts.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Aulay MacAulay, a Scottish knight who lived in the late 13th century and fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English. He was a staunch supporter of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

Another notable historical figure with the name MACAULEY was Reverend Aulay Macaulay, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived in the 17th century and was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation. He was born in 1619 and died in 1666.

In the 18th century, Thomas Babington Macaulay, a renowned English historian, essayist, and politician, was born in 1800 to a family with Scottish roots. His works, such as the "History of England" and his essays on various subjects, were widely influential and celebrated.

The name MACAULEY can also be found in various place names in Scotland, such as Macaulay Island and Macaulay Point in the Hebrides, reflecting the historical presence of the name in these regions.

Another notable bearer of the name was Aulay Macaulay, a Scottish author and journalist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in 1866 and died in 1936, and his works included novels, short stories, and historical writings.

Overall, the surname MACAULEY has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands, with various notable individuals bearing the name throughout the centuries, contributing to various fields such as literature, religion, and politics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macauley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macauley 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 111 Macauleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.03x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 111 2.03x
Lanarkshire 51 3.42x
Yorkshire 42 0.92x
Middlesex 41 0.89x
Inverness-shire 25 18.14x
Cumberland 20 5.03x
Kent 16 1.02x
Warwickshire 16 1.38x
Surrey 11 0.49x
Northumberland 10 1.46x
Royal Navy 10 18.19x
Midlothian 9 1.46x
Cheshire 8 0.79x
Derbyshire 8 1.11x
Selkirkshire 8 19.17x
Durham 7 0.51x
Pembrokeshire 6 4.09x
Sussex 6 0.77x
Ayrshire 5 1.45x
Dumfriesshire 5 4.91x
Isle of Man 5 5.84x
Perthshire 5 2.41x
Devon 4 0.42x
Gloucestershire 4 0.44x
Hertfordshire 4 1.26x
Merionethshire 4 4.74x
Caernarfonshire 3 1.61x
Leicestershire 3 0.59x
Northamptonshire 3 0.69x
Sutherland 3 8.46x
West Lothian 3 4.32x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.47x
Essex 2 0.22x
Glamorgan 2 0.25x
Ross-shire 2 1.58x
Suffolk 2 0.36x
Berkshire 1 0.29x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.34x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Monmouthshire 1 0.30x
Morayshire 1 1.39x
Somerset 1 0.13x
Worcestershire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Uist in Inverness-shire leads with 25 Macauleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 464.68x.

Place Total Index
North Uist 25 464.68x
Govan 19 5.15x
Garston 16 99.01x
Liverpool 15 4.51x
Manchester 15 6.09x
Barony 13 3.44x
Barrow In Furness 12 16.12x
Birmingham 12 3.09x
Glasgow 11 4.15x
Caldewgate 10 45.93x
Everton 10 5.73x
Royal Navy 10 21.28x
Widnes 10 25.32x
Harrington 9 187.50x
Shoreditch London 9 4.50x
Selkirk 8 68.03x
Woolwich 8 13.76x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 2.81x
Heptonstall 7 109.03x
Rastrick 7 55.12x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 13.80x
Carew 6 410.96x
Dalton In Furness 6 28.40x
Halifax 6 8.94x
Ackworth 5 142.45x
Clapham 5 8.67x
Dalrymple 5 231.48x
Derby St Werburgh 5 11.99x
Dumfries 5 49.75x
Elswick 5 9.13x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 8.41x
Ovingham Whittle Spital 5 480.77x
Paddington London 5 2.95x
Perth West Church 5 50.86x
St George Hanover 5 8.30x
St Marylebone London 5 2.03x
Willesden 5 11.50x
Beeston 4 86.58x
Bishop Stortford 4 37.66x
Bristol St Michael 4 51.55x
Festiniog 4 22.46x
Manningham 4 7.10x
Marown 4 256.41x
Rugby 4 25.41x
Rutherglen 4 18.27x
Brighton 3 1.91x
Creich 3 84.99x
Dartmouth Townstall 3 76.73x
Hampstead London 3 4.17x
Llanrhychwyn 3 357.14x
Preston 3 2.05x
Rotherham 3 11.64x
Salford 3 1.86x
Tonbridge 3 5.28x
Uphall 3 39.27x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 2.24x
Ardwick 2 4.05x
Battersea 2 1.18x
Camberwell 2 0.68x
Chelsea London 2 1.44x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.30x
Drypool 2 28.57x
Framlingham 2 50.13x
Gateshead 2 1.95x
Gorbals 2 22.57x
Islington London 2 0.45x
Kensington London 2 0.78x
Leicester St Mary 2 4.84x
Lewisham 2 2.38x
Leyton Low 2 10.81x
Malpas 2 133.33x
Minster In Sheppey 2 7.67x
Oxton 2 34.72x
Rothwell 2 45.87x
Runcorn 2 8.52x
Urmston 2 56.34x
Whalley 2 25.06x
Whitby 2 12.98x
Bury 1 1.60x
Sparkford 1 250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 16
Margaret 8
Sarah 8
Annie 7
Jane 7
Ann 5
Eliza 5
Ellen 5
Catherine 4
Emma 4
Isabella 4
Kate 4
Louisa 4
Rebecca 4
Caroline 3
Florence 3
Hannah 3
Janet 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Bridget 2
Eleanor 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Rose 2
Bessie 1
Cecelia 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Ester 1
Evelin 1
Grace 1
Isabell 1
Liley 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
M.A. 1
Magaret 1
Maggie 1
Marg 1
Margeret 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Thomas 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 22
William 20
James 19
Thomas 10
Charles 7
Edward 6
George 6
Henry 6
Peter 6
Alexander 5
Robert 5
Hugh 4
Alfred 3
David 3
Patrick 3
Albert 2
Aulay 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Joseph 2
Kenneth 2
Matthew 2
Richard 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Allan 1
Ambrose 1
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Archie 1
Arthur 1
Charlie 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Granville 1
Harold 1
Hector 1
Hy.Charles 1
Jno 1
Jno. 1
Kennett 1
Lawrence 1
Lenox 1
Louis 1
Malcolm 1
Mike 1
Owen 1
Reginald 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Macauley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macauley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 464 people were recorded with the Macauley surname. That placed it at #7,157 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macauley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 874 in 2016. That gives Macauley a modern rank of #6,431.

What does the Macauley surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the prefix Mac, meaning "son of", combined with Auley, a personal name of uncertain origin.

What does the Macauley map show?

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