NameCensus.

UK surname

Macdermott

Gaelic surname derived from Mac Diarmata, meaning "son of the freeman".

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Macdermott surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, down from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bournemouth, Stockton-on-Tees and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macdermott is 329 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.0%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

1997

329 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macdermott had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 223 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Macdermott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macdermott surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macdermott 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 223 #13,800
1901 historical 195 #15,380
1911 historical 221 #14,044
1997 modern 329 #12,734
1998 modern 288 #14,249
1999 modern 256 #15,557
2000 modern 257 #15,468
2001 modern 239 #15,963
2002 modern 235 #16,495
2003 modern 232 #16,447
2004 modern 221 #17,066
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 212 #17,612
2007 modern 205 #18,194
2008 modern 204 #18,403
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 198 #19,577
2011 modern 199 #19,346
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 209 #18,984
2014 modern 206 #19,318
2015 modern 202 #19,433
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Macdermotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bournemouth, Stockton-on-Tees, Brighton and Hove and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bournemouth 024 Bournemouth
2 Stockton-on-Tees 021 Stockton-on-Tees
3 Brighton and Hove 026 Brighton and Hove
4 Newcastle upon Tyne 019 Newcastle upon Tyne
5 Stockton-on-Tees 023 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macdermott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macdermott

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Macdermott 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

Macdermott is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Macdermott 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 Macdermott 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Macdermott

The surname MacDermott is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic Mac Diarmada, which means "son of Diarmaid." Diarmaid is an old Irish personal name derived from the words "diar," meaning "free," and "maith," meaning "good" or "fortunate."

The MacDermotts were a prominent family in County Roscommon, Ireland, in the Middle Ages. They ruled the region of Moylurg, located in north Roscommon, from the 11th to the 17th century. The earliest recorded bearer of the surname was Maolruana MacDermott, who was the King of Moylurg in the late 12th century.

The MacDermotts were among the few Gaelic families who managed to retain their lands and status after the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. They were notable allies of the O'Conor dynasty, the last high kings of Ireland.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, the MacDermotts played a significant role in the Gaelic resistance against English rule. Conor MacDermott, who was the chief of the clan in the late 16th century, was a prominent supporter of the Nine Years' War (1594-1603), a major conflict between the Gaelic Irish and the English crown.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Terence MacDermott (1580-1617), a Franciscan friar who was executed in 1617 for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot, a failed attempt to assassinate King James I of England and VI of Scotland.

The MacDermotts were also prominent in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653), which were fought between the Irish Catholic Confederates and the English Parliamentarian forces. Rory MacDermott was a leading figure in the Confederacy and served as a colonel in the Confederate army.

In the 17th century, after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, many MacDermotts were dispossessed of their lands and dispersed throughout Ireland and abroad. However, the surname remains relatively common in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Roscommon, Sligo, and Leitrim.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macdermott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macdermott 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. Middlesex leads with 16 Macdermotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.98x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 16 1.98x
Staffordshire 16 5.86x
Leicestershire 11 12.25x
Warwickshire 9 4.41x
Worcestershire 9 8.51x
Durham 6 2.49x
Surrey 5 1.27x
Lancashire 4 0.42x
Lanarkshire 3 1.15x
Berkshire 1 1.65x
Cheshire 1 0.56x
Dorset 1 1.88x
Essex 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 11 Macdermotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.25x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 11 50.25x
Newcastle Under Lyme 10 206.61x
Birmingham 8 11.76x
Monkwearmouth Shore 6 127.66x
Islington London 5 6.37x
Mile End Old Town 5 39.12x
West Bromwich 5 31.97x
Worcester All Sts 5 819.67x
Manchester 4 9.26x
Oldbury 4 76.92x
Camberwell 3 5.80x
Govan 3 4.63x
St Giles In Fields 3 107.53x
Putney 2 54.20x
Edgbaston 1 15.80x
Edmonton 1 15.34x
Hornsey 1 9.77x
Portland 1 34.97x
Towerof London London 1 384.62x
Walsall Foreign 1 7.09x
Wantage 1 103.09x
West Ham 1 2.83x
West Kirby 1 322.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Ellen 4
Kate 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Sarah 2
Winifred 2
Emma 1
Florrie 1
Freesor 1
Julia 1
Lillian 1
Madeline 1
Matilda 1
Rosa 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
James 4
Charles 2
Henry 2
Michael 2
Patrick 2
William 2
Anthony 1
Christopher 1
Dennis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Laurence 1
Martin 1
Michall 1
Owen 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Macdermott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macdermott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Macdermott surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macdermott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Macdermott a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Macdermott surname mean?

Gaelic surname derived from Mac Diarmata, meaning "son of the freeman".

What does the Macdermott map show?

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