NameCensus.

UK surname

Macbeath

In the 1881 census there were 186 people recorded with the Macbeath surname, ranking it #13,448 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 348, ranked #13,233, up from #13,448 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gairloch, Wick and Applecross. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sutherland East, Ross and Cromarty South West and Ross and Cromarty East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macbeath is 370 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 87.1%.

1881 census count

186

Ranked #13,448

Modern count

348

2016, ranked #13,233

Peak year

2010

370 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macbeath had 186 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,448 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016, ranked #13,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 188 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macbeath surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macbeath surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macbeath 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 114 #15,716
1861 historical 109 #19,693
1881 historical 186 #13,448
1891 historical 137 #19,501
1901 historical 188 #15,742
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 298 #13,593
1998 modern 311 #13,550
1999 modern 311 #13,642
2000 modern 316 #13,460
2001 modern 303 #13,645
2002 modern 310 #13,697
2003 modern 318 #13,291
2004 modern 328 #13,058
2005 modern 335 #12,795
2006 modern 338 #12,779
2007 modern 346 #12,689
2008 modern 356 #12,534
2009 modern 356 #12,800
2010 modern 370 #12,701
2011 modern 361 #12,800
2012 modern 357 #12,757
2013 modern 358 #12,952
2014 modern 356 #13,098
2015 modern 353 #13,086
2016 modern 348 #13,233

Geography

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Where Macbeaths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gairloch, Wick, Applecross, Clyne and Thurso. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sutherland East, Ross and Cromarty South West, Ross and Cromarty East, Caithness South and Bonnybridge. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Gairloch Ross And Cromarty
2 Wick Caithness
3 Applecross Ross And Cromarty
4 Clyne Sutherland
5 Thurso Caithness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sutherland East Highland
2 Ross and Cromarty South West Highland
3 Ross and Cromarty East Highland
4 Caithness South Highland
5 Bonnybridge Falkirk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macbeath

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macbeath

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

Macbeath 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

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

1881 census detail

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Macbeath families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macbeath 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 96 Macbeaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 199.13x.

County Total Index
Ross-shire 96 199.13x
Caithness 25 103.99x
Inverness-shire 13 24.80x
Sutherland 9 66.67x
Aberdeenshire 7 4.30x
Midlothian 7 2.98x
Lancashire 5 0.24x
Lanarkshire 4 0.70x
Kent 3 0.50x
Shetland 3 16.73x
Gloucestershire 2 0.58x
Morayshire 2 7.33x
Norfolk 1 0.37x
Northumberland 1 0.38x
Stirlingshire 1 1.54x
Yorkshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Applecross in Ross-shire leads with 69 Macbeaths recorded in 1881 and an index of 5073.53x.

Place Total Index
Applecross 69 5073.53x
Gairloch 18 647.48x
Olrig 17 1416.67x
Inverness 9 68.23x
Dingwall 8 588.24x
King Edward 7 374.33x
Dornoch 5 328.95x
Toxteth Park 5 7.09x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 4.23x
Moy Dalarossie 4 816.33x
Thurso 4 106.67x
Charlton Next Woolwich 3 48.00x
Farr 3 258.62x
Govan 3 2.14x
Lerwick Gulberwick 3 107.91x
Reay 2 151.52x
Barony 1 0.70x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 8.71x
Clifton 1 5.74x
Drymen 1 114.94x
Duffus 1 41.67x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 51.55x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 21.88x
Elgin 1 18.83x
Liberton 1 27.55x
Lochalsh 1 80.65x
Northwold 1 138.89x
Tongue 1 85.47x
Tweedmouth 1 30.67x
Watten 1 117.65x
Wick 1 12.89x
York Holy Trinity Kings 1 277.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Elizabeth 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Joanna 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
David 1
George 1
Reginald 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 Macbeath households.

FAQ

Macbeath surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macbeath surname in 1881?

In 1881, 186 people were recorded with the Macbeath surname. That placed it at #13,448 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macbeath surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016. That gives Macbeath a modern rank of #13,233.

What does the Macbeath map show?

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