NameCensus.

UK surname

Macbean

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacBheathain" meaning "son of the life clerk or vicar".

In the 1881 census there were 243 people recorded with the Macbean surname, ranking it #11,294 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 390, ranked #12,089, down from #11,294 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Daviot and Dunlichty, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and Old Machar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Badenoch and Strathspey Central, Inverness East Rural and Inverness Ballifeary and Dalneigh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macbean is 417 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 60.5%.

1881 census count

243

Ranked #11,294

Modern count

390

2016, ranked #12,089

Peak year

2002

417 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macbean had 243 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,294 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 390 in 2016, ranked #12,089.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 272 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Macbean surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macbean surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macbean 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 142 #13,428
1861 historical 170 #13,763
1881 historical 243 #11,294
1891 historical 268 #12,087
1901 historical 272 #12,440
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 390 #11,215
1998 modern 407 #11,212
1999 modern 393 #11,602
2000 modern 402 #11,357
2001 modern 405 #11,121
2002 modern 417 #11,104
2003 modern 400 #11,262
2004 modern 397 #11,345
2005 modern 404 #11,100
2006 modern 391 #11,432
2007 modern 394 #11,508
2008 modern 380 #11,942
2009 modern 398 #11,768
2010 modern 417 #11,606
2011 modern 409 #11,663
2012 modern 396 #11,807
2013 modern 399 #11,944
2014 modern 401 #11,979
2015 modern 397 #11,973
2016 modern 390 #12,089

Geography

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Where Macbeans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Daviot and Dunlichty, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Old Machar, Duthill and Rothiemurcus and Croy and Dalcross. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Badenoch and Strathspey Central, Inverness East Rural, Inverness Ballifeary and Dalneigh, Inverness Hilton and Badenoch and Strathspey South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Daviot and Dunlichty Inverness
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
4 Duthill and Rothiemurcus Inverness
5 Croy and Dalcross Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Badenoch and Strathspey Central Highland
2 Inverness East Rural Highland
3 Inverness Ballifeary and Dalneigh Highland
4 Inverness Hilton Highland
5 Badenoch and Strathspey South Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macbean

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macbean

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Macbean, 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 Macbean surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Macbean 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Macbean is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macbean 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

Macbean falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macbean 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 Macbean, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Macbean

The surname MACBEAN is of Scottish origin and has its roots in the Scottish Highlands. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "bean" meaning "fair" or "bright." Thus, the name MACBEAN can be interpreted to mean "son of the fair one" or "son of the bright one."

The earliest known records of the MACBEAN surname date back to the 16th century in the Scottish Highlands. Some of the earliest spellings of the name include MacBean, MacBane, and MacBain. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Inverness-shire and Ross-shire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MACBEAN name can be found in the Black Book of Taymouth, a 16th-century manuscript that documented land transactions and genealogies of Scottish clans. The name is also mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, a series of historical records dating back to the 13th century.

Notable individuals with the MACBEAN surname include:

1. Angus MACBEAN (1677-1748), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the minister of Inverness and wrote several religious works. 2. John MACBEAN (1718-1793), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh. 3. William MACBEAN (1784-1854), a Scottish soldier and explorer who served in the British Army and was involved in the exploration of Australia. 4. Lachlan MACBEAN (1825-1892), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 5. Archibald MACBEAN (1855-1931), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

The MACBEAN name has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as the village of Macbean in Moray and the Macbean Burn, a stream in Inverness-shire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macbean families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macbean 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 112 Macbeans recorded in 1881 and an index of 172.41x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 112 172.41x
Nairnshire 23 346.39x
Lanarkshire 14 1.99x
Midlothian 14 4.80x
Surrey 14 1.32x
Hampshire 7 1.57x
Aberdeenshire 6 2.98x
Kincardineshire 6 22.65x
Fife 4 3.11x
Suffolk 4 1.51x
Ross-shire 3 5.02x
Roxburghshire 3 7.61x
Kent 2 0.27x
Middlesex 2 0.09x
Morayshire 2 5.92x
Argyllshire 1 1.65x
Cornwall 1 0.41x
Essex 1 0.23x
Isle of Man 1 2.48x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.74x
Stirlingshire 1 1.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Inverness in Inverness-shire leads with 44 Macbeans recorded in 1881 and an index of 269.28x.

Place Total Index
Inverness 44 269.28x
Daviot Dunlichity 18 1935.48x
Nairn 17 421.84x
Moy Dalarossie 15 2459.02x
Wimbledon 14 117.65x
Barony 9 5.06x
Duthil 8 645.16x
Kiltarlity 7 440.25x
Portsea 7 8.01x
Ardclach 6 722.89x
Banchory Devenick 6 242.92x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 5.12x
Edinburgh St Stephens 6 104.53x
Petty 6 526.32x
Aberdeen Old Machar 5 11.89x
Urquhart Glenmoriston 5 271.74x
Lesmahagow 4 53.76x
St Andrews 4 68.26x
Little Livermere 3 2500.00x
Melrose 3 87.98x
Elgin 2 30.44x
Kingussie Insh 2 134.23x
Lewisham 2 5.05x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 2.65x
Alvie 1 188.68x
Boleskine Abertarff 1 92.59x
Croy Dalcross 1 77.52x
Dingwall 1 59.52x
Edinburgh Old Church 1 42.74x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 41.49x
Falkirk 1 5.32x
Heaton Norris 1 6.81x
High Laver 1 277.78x
Kilmorack 1 50.76x
Kilmore Kilbride 1 26.04x
Kirkhill 1 90.91x
Laggan 1 144.93x
Logie Wester 1 93.46x
Malew 1 28.33x
North Uist 1 39.37x
Oxford St Giles 1 15.60x
Rutherglen 1 9.69x
St George Bloomsbury 1 8.01x
St Marylebone London 1 0.86x
Stoke By Nayland 1 116.28x
Tywardreath 1 63.29x
Urray 1 54.05x

Top female names

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

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 Macbean households.

FAQ

Macbean surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macbean surname in 1881?

In 1881, 243 people were recorded with the Macbean surname. That placed it at #11,294 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macbean surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 390 in 2016. That gives Macbean a modern rank of #12,089.

What does the Macbean surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacBheathain" meaning "son of the life clerk or vicar".

What does the Macbean map show?

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