NameCensus.

UK surname

Macbride

A Scottish Gaelic surname meaning "son of a freckled person".

In the 1881 census there were 62 people recorded with the Macbride surname, ranking it #24,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 237, ranked #17,418, up from #24,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cowal South, Kennoway and Bonnybank and Shawlands West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macbride is 280 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 282.3%.

1881 census count

62

Ranked #24,843

Modern count

237

2016, ranked #17,418

Peak year

1997

280 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macbride had 62 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 237 in 2016, ranked #17,418.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 89 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Macbride surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macbride surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macbride 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 56 #26,864
1881 historical 62 #24,843
1891 historical 77 #27,169
1901 historical 89 #24,154
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 280 #14,136
1998 modern 278 #14,620
1999 modern 251 #15,751
2000 modern 245 #15,955
2001 modern 242 #15,832
2002 modern 243 #16,147
2003 modern 242 #15,960
2004 modern 243 #16,004
2005 modern 231 #16,529
2006 modern 237 #16,334
2007 modern 233 #16,752
2008 modern 233 #16,885
2009 modern 241 #16,848
2010 modern 241 #17,186
2011 modern 241 #17,057
2012 modern 239 #17,027
2013 modern 230 #17,756
2014 modern 241 #17,338
2015 modern 242 #17,191
2016 modern 237 #17,418

Geography

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Where Macbrides are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cowal South, Kennoway and Bonnybank, Shawlands West, Bromley and Morningside and Craighouse. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cowal South Argyll and Bute
2 Kennoway and Bonnybank Fife
3 Shawlands West Glasgow City
4 Bromley 016 Bromley
5 Morningside and Craighouse City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macbride

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macbride

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Macbride surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Macbride household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Macbride 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

Macbride is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Macbride falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macbride is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Macbride

The surname MacBride has its origins in Scotland, where it is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "bríghde" which means "a murmuring sound" or "words." This suggests the name may have referred to an occupation such as a judge, lawyer, or public speaker.

The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a "Malcolm M'Brid" is mentioned. The spelling "MacBride" first appeared in the 15th century when Gaelic surnames were being standardized.

In the 16th century, the MacBrides were a prominent family in County Antrim, Ireland. John MacBride, born around 1535, was a influential landowner and military leader who played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

Another notable figure was Sir John MacBride, born in 1865, an Irish republican revolutionary who was executed by the British in 1916 for his role in the Easter Rising. His son, Seán MacBride, born in 1904, was a prominent Irish politician and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974 for his work with Amnesty International.

In Scotland, the MacBrides were particularly numerous in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles. One prominent member was Sir James MacBride, born in 1737, who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1789 to 1791.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is John MacBride, born in 1735 in County Antrim, Ireland, who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 18th century. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in various fields, including politics, law, and education.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macbride families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macbride 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 12 Macbrides recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.66x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 12 2.66x
Renfrewshire 7 23.74x
Midlothian 4 7.85x
Buteshire 3 130.43x
Cheshire 2 2.38x
Lanarkshire 2 1.63x
Middlesex 2 0.53x
Norfolk 2 3.42x
Angus 1 2.84x
Argyllshire 1 9.44x
Essex 1 1.33x
Kent 1 0.77x
Sussex 1 1.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 4 Macbrides recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.51x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 19.51x
Everton 4 27.80x
Pendleton In Salford 4 74.35x
Cathcart 3 188.68x
Kilbride 3 1071.43x
West Greenock 3 56.71x
Failsworth 2 194.17x
Govan 2 6.57x
Norwich St Clement 2 294.12x
Stockport 2 46.30x
Colchester St Giles 1 135.14x
Friern Barnet 1 119.05x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 212.77x
Lee 1 53.19x
Manchester 1 4.93x
Renfrew 1 103.09x
Southend 1 833.33x
St Pancras London 1 3.27x
Strathmartine 1 625.00x
Wavertree 1 69.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 3
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Augustus 1
Patrick 1
William 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 Macbride households.

FAQ

Macbride surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macbride surname in 1881?

In 1881, 62 people were recorded with the Macbride surname. That placed it at #24,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macbride surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 237 in 2016. That gives Macbride a modern rank of #17,418.

What does the Macbride surname mean?

A Scottish Gaelic surname meaning "son of a freckled person".

What does the Macbride map show?

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