NameCensus.

UK surname

Maccallum

Scottish surname derived from Gaelic meaning "son of Calum".

In the 1881 census there were 143 people recorded with the Maccallum surname, ranking it #15,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,013, ranked #5,748, up from #15,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Ardchattan and Muckairn and Kilmichael Glassary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Oban North and Lochaber East and North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maccallum is 1,013 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 608.4%.

1881 census count

143

Ranked #15,955

Modern count

1,013

2016, ranked #5,748

Peak year

2014

1,013 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maccallum had 143 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,013 in 2016, ranked #5,748.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 302 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Maccallum surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maccallum surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maccallum 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 275 #8,150
1861 historical 302 #8,393
1881 historical 143 #15,955
1891 historical 233 #13,392
1901 historical 243 #13,358
1911 historical 75 #25,322
1997 modern 959 #5,672
1998 modern 969 #5,823
1999 modern 952 #5,935
2000 modern 954 #5,907
2001 modern 944 #5,853
2002 modern 974 #5,811
2003 modern 936 #5,903
2004 modern 978 #5,701
2005 modern 965 #5,705
2006 modern 962 #5,733
2007 modern 981 #5,698
2008 modern 986 #5,715
2009 modern 982 #5,846
2010 modern 989 #5,924
2011 modern 975 #5,925
2012 modern 981 #5,826
2013 modern 1,004 #5,805
2014 modern 1,013 #5,794
2015 modern 1,011 #5,764
2016 modern 1,013 #5,748

Geography

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Where Maccallums are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Ardchattan and Muckairn, Kilmichael Glassary, Tiree and Coll and North Knapdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Oban North, Lochaber East and North, Benderloch Trail and Oban South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Ardchattan and Muckairn Argyll
3 Kilmichael Glassary Argyll
4 Tiree and Coll Argyll
5 North Knapdale Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree Argyll and Bute
2 Oban North Argyll and Bute
3 Lochaber East and North Highland
4 Benderloch Trail Argyll and Bute
5 Oban South Argyll and Bute

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maccallum

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maccallum

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Maccallum 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

Maccallum 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

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

Meaning and origin of Maccallum

The surname MacCallum is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "MacCaluim," which means "son of Calum" or "son of the servant of St. Columba." The name is derived from the personal name Calum, which is a Scottish form of the Latin name Columba, meaning "dove."

The MacCallums were a prominent clan in the western Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Lorne. They were closely associated with the powerful Clan Campbell, and some sources suggest that the MacCallums were a sept or branch of the Campbells.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the "Ragman Rolls" of 1296, which lists men who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The entry "Gilcolm Makalun de Lokard" is believed to be an early spelling of the name.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir Duncan MacCallum, who fought alongside Mary, Queen of Scots, during the Scottish Reformation. Another prominent MacCallum was Sir Hugh MacCallum, who served as the Governor of Dumbarton Castle in the late 16th century.

The MacCallums were also associated with the island of Islay, where they held lands in the parish of Kildalton. One of the earliest recorded spellings of the name is "MacCalainn," which appears in the "Origines Parochiales Scotiae" in reference to the family's landholdings on Islay.

In the 17th century, a famous bearer of the name was Archibald MacCallum, a Scottish poet and writer who was born in Argyll around 1640. His works, including "The Hymns of Archibald MacCallum," provide valuable insights into Scottish culture and literature of that era.

Another notable figure was Sir Duncan MacCallum, who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the late 17th century. He played a significant role in the political and administrative affairs of the city during a turbulent period of Scottish history.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the MacCallums continued to be a prominent clan in Scotland, with many members holding positions of influence in various fields, including academia, military, and politics. One such individual was Sir Hugh MacCallum, who was born in 1787 and served as the Governor of Prince Edward Island in the early 19th century.

While the surname MacCallum has its roots firmly planted in Scottish history, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by descendants of the clan and those who adopted the name through marriage or other circumstances.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maccallum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maccallum 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. Argyllshire leads with 25 Maccallums recorded in 1881 and an index of 119.56x.

County Total Index
Argyllshire 25 119.56x
Lanarkshire 18 7.41x
Perthshire 13 38.56x
Inverness-shire 9 40.12x
Banffshire 4 25.67x
Renfrewshire 2 3.44x
Angus 1 1.44x
Ayrshire 1 1.78x
Denbighshire 1 3.52x
Lancashire 1 0.11x
Middlesex 1 0.13x
Surrey 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 16 Maccallums recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.63x.

Place Total Index
Govan 16 26.63x
Tyree 15 2112.68x
Callander 7 1250.00x
Duirinish 5 438.60x
Ardnamurchan 4 377.36x
Gamrie 4 229.89x
Perth St Pauls 4 512.82x
Dunblane 2 246.91x
Kilmallie 2 185.19x
Kilninian Kilmore 2 312.50x
West Greenock 2 19.14x
Beith 1 59.52x
Blantyre 1 39.53x
Didsbury 1 84.75x
Dundee 1 3.85x
Hammersmith London 1 5.41x
Henllan 1 138.89x
Kilchoman 1 151.52x
Kilfinan 1 178.57x
Kilmorack 1 147.06x
North Uist 1 113.64x
Portree 1 120.48x
Rutherglen 1 28.09x
South Uist 1 64.10x
Streatham 1 17.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Sybella 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
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 Maccallum households.

FAQ

Maccallum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maccallum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 143 people were recorded with the Maccallum surname. That placed it at #15,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maccallum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,013 in 2016. That gives Maccallum a modern rank of #5,748.

What does the Maccallum surname mean?

Scottish surname derived from Gaelic meaning "son of Calum".

What does the Maccallum map show?

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