NameCensus.

UK surname

Macconnell

Scottish surname meaning "son of the bright or fair hero".

In the 1881 census there were 48 people recorded with the Macconnell surname, ranking it #26,869 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, up from #26,869 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, Dedridge East and Knapdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macconnell is 163 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 197.9%.

1881 census count

48

Ranked #26,869

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

1997

163 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macconnell had 48 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,869 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 59 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macconnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macconnell surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macconnell 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 24 #29,038
1861 historical 18 #31,580
1881 historical 48 #26,869
1891 historical 50 #30,253
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 163 #20,038
1998 modern 148 #21,841
1999 modern 128 #24,017
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 127 #24,224
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 135 #23,486
2007 modern 139 #23,377
2008 modern 134 #24,249
2009 modern 134 #24,711
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 129 #25,705
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 136 #25,352
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Macconnells 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 South Lakeland, Dedridge East, Knapdale and Northwest Lewis. 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 South Lakeland 005 South Lakeland
2 South Lakeland 009 South Lakeland
3 Dedridge East West Lothian
4 Knapdale Argyll and Bute
5 Northwest Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macconnell

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macconnell

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Macconnell 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

Macconnell 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

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

Meaning and origin of Macconnell

The surname MACCONNELL originated in Scotland, deriving from the Gaelic "Mac Choinnich" meaning "son of Coinneach" or "son of Kenneth". The earliest records of this name can be traced back to the 12th century in the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides islands.

The MACCONNELL name is closely associated with the Clan MacConnell, a powerful family that held lands on the Isle of Islay and the Kintyre peninsula. They were descendants of Solamh, a 13th-century chief of the Clan Donald. One notable member was Angus Mor MacConnell (c. 1480-1545), who led the clan during the turbulent era of the Scottish Reformation.

In the 16th century, the MACCONNELL name appeared in various historical records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland. The name was also recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, an important chronicle of medieval Irish history, under the spelling "Mac Cuinn na nGall".

One of the earliest known bearers of the MACCONNELL surname was Gillespie MacConnell (c. 1550-1598), a Scottish mercenary who served in the Irish wars. He gained notoriety for his brutal tactics and was eventually executed for his role in the rebellion against English rule.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert MacConnell (c. 1590-1660), a Scottish soldier and landowner who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was granted extensive estates in County Antrim, Ireland, for his loyalty to King Charles I.

In the 18th century, Charles Macconnell (1723-1800) was a Scottish writer and clergyman who published several works on theology and philosophy. He served as the Minister of Kilwinning and was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment.

During the 19th century, the MACCONNELL name gained recognition through individuals such as Randal William Routh Macconnell (1828-1900), an Irish civil engineer who oversaw the construction of several notable bridges and railways in India.

The MACCONNELL surname has a rich historical legacy, reflecting the influence of Scottish clans and their role in shaping the cultural and political landscapes of Scotland and Ireland over centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macconnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macconnell 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. Derbyshire leads with 8 Macconnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.85x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 8 30.85x
Lanarkshire 4 7.47x
Kent 3 5.31x
Lincolnshire 1 3.78x
Yorkshire 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 4 Macconnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.50x.

Place Total Index
Barony 4 29.50x
Derby All Sts 4 1818.18x
Derby St Peter 4 481.93x
Woolwich 3 143.54x
Skircoat 1 153.85x
South Elkington 1 5000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Hannah 1
Martha 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Josiah 2
Samuel 2
Henry 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 Macconnell households.

FAQ

Macconnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macconnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 48 people were recorded with the Macconnell surname. That placed it at #26,869 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macconnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Macconnell a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Macconnell surname mean?

Scottish surname meaning "son of the bright or fair hero".

What does the Macconnell map show?

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