NameCensus.

UK surname

Macdonald

Son of Donald, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.

In the 1881 census there were 13,320 people recorded with the Macdonald surname, ranking it #307 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 41,328, ranked #117, up from #307 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, South Uist and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Benbecula and North Uist, Northwest Lewis and Barra and South Uist.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macdonald is 41,328 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 210.3%.

1881 census count

13,320

Ranked #307

Modern count

41,328

2016, ranked #117

Peak year

2016

41,328 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macdonald had 13,320 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #307 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 41,328 in 2016, ranked #117.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 20,991 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macdonald surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macdonald surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macdonald 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 8,270 #330
1861 historical 8,609 #321
1881 historical 13,320 #307
1891 historical 15,900 #265
1901 historical 20,991 #227
1911 historical 7,939 #645
1997 modern 37,353 #128
1998 modern 38,781 #129
1999 modern 38,888 #129
2000 modern 39,416 #124
2001 modern 38,277 #125
2002 modern 39,166 #127
2003 modern 38,250 #127
2004 modern 37,713 #131
2005 modern 37,631 #130
2006 modern 37,794 #126
2007 modern 38,248 #126
2008 modern 38,577 #125
2009 modern 39,268 #126
2010 modern 40,067 #126
2011 modern 39,567 #126
2012 modern 39,468 #122
2013 modern 40,449 #122
2014 modern 41,145 #121
2015 modern 41,068 #120
2016 modern 41,328 #117

Geography

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Where Macdonalds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, South Uist, Glasgow, Stornoway and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Benbecula and North Uist, Northwest Lewis, Barra and South Uist, Broadbay and Point. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Edinburgh Edinburgh
2 South Uist Inverness
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Stornoway Ross And Cromarty
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Benbecula and North Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Northwest Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar
3 Barra and South Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
4 Broadbay Na h-Eileanan Siar
5 Point Na h-Eileanan Siar

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macdonald

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macdonald

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

Macdonald 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

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

Meaning and origin of Macdonald

The surname MacDonald has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the 13th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Dhòmhnaill," meaning "son of Donald." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name were descendants of a man named Donald.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which mention a "Donald MacDonald" in 1292. The name was also present in other medieval Scottish records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists several individuals with the surname MacDonald who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

The MacDonalds were a powerful clan in the Western Isles of Scotland, and their history is closely intertwined with the region's turbulent past. In the 14th century, the clan was led by John MacDonald, who was granted the title of Lord of the Isles by King Robert II. This marked the beginning of the MacDonalds' prominence as a dominant force in the region.

Notable historical figures bearing the MacDonald surname include:

1. Somerled MacDonald (c. 1100-1164), a Norse-Gaelic military leader and progenitor of the Clan Donald. 2. John MacDonald, Lord of the Isles (c. 1337-1386), a powerful Scottish nobleman and chief of the Clan Donald. 3. Flora MacDonald (1722-1790), a Scottish heroine who famously aided Bonnie Prince Charlie's escape after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. 4. Ramsay MacDonald (1866-1937), a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on two occasions. 5. John A. MacDonald (1815-1891), a Canadian statesman and the first Prime Minister of Canada.

The name MacDonald has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Scotland, such as Islay, where the Clan Donald had a strong presence. Over time, the spelling of the name has evolved, with variations like McDonald, MacDonell, and McDonnell emerging in different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macdonald families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macdonald 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. Inverness-shire leads with 3,801 Macdonalds recorded in 1881 and an index of 109.79x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 3,801 109.79x
Ross-shire 1,795 56.38x
Midlothian 645 4.15x
Argyllshire 617 19.12x
Middlesex 552 0.48x
Lanarkshire 539 1.44x
Lancashire 426 0.31x
Sutherland 342 38.37x
Aberdeenshire 234 2.18x
Caithness 225 14.18x
Morayshire 186 10.33x
Angus 183 1.70x
Surrey 180 0.32x
Yorkshire 167 0.15x
Renfrewshire 166 1.85x
Perthshire 164 3.15x
Nairnshire 102 28.83x
Northumberland 97 0.56x
Warwickshire 96 0.33x
Fife 93 1.36x
Cheshire 88 0.34x
Kent 79 0.20x
Durham 67 0.19x
Devon 64 0.27x
Hampshire 57 0.24x
Gloucestershire 55 0.24x
Worcestershire 49 0.32x
Staffordshire 46 0.12x
Roxburghshire 43 2.05x
Essex 40 0.17x
Banffshire 39 1.62x
Stirlingshire 39 0.91x
Buteshire 37 5.27x
Sussex 36 0.18x
Ayrshire 35 0.40x
Dunbartonshire 35 1.12x
Derbyshire 32 0.18x
East Lothian 28 1.82x
Lincolnshire 24 0.13x
Norfolk 24 0.13x
Glamorgan 22 0.11x
Somerset 22 0.12x
Kincardineshire 21 1.49x
Isle of Man 19 0.88x
Cornwall 16 0.12x
Hertfordshire 15 0.19x
Wiltshire 15 0.15x
Brecknockshire 14 0.60x
Cumberland 13 0.13x
Dumfriesshire 13 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.08x
Shetland 13 1.10x
Northamptonshire 12 0.11x
Oxfordshire 12 0.17x
Westmorland 12 0.47x
Flintshire 11 0.35x
Clackmannanshire 10 1.04x
Berkshire 9 0.10x
Cambridgeshire 9 0.12x
Berwickshire 8 0.57x
Denbighshire 8 0.18x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.10x
Peeblesshire 7 1.28x
Royal Navy 7 0.51x
Suffolk 7 0.05x
Bedfordshire 4 0.07x
Channel Islands 4 0.12x
Dorset 4 0.05x
Leicestershire 4 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.11x
Shropshire 4 0.04x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.06x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.18x
Orkney 3 0.24x
Monmouthshire 2 0.02x
Wigtownshire 2 0.13x
Herefordshire 1 0.02x
Kinross-shire 1 0.34x
Rutland 1 0.12x
Selkirkshire 1 0.10x
West Lothian 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. Inverness in Inverness-shire leads with 713 Macdonalds recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.88x.

Place Total Index
Inverness 713 81.88x
Stornoway 533 128.45x
South Uist 491 203.27x
North Uist 471 348.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 327 5.23x
Harris 313 179.87x
Ardnamurchan 266 162.50x
Trumisgarry 234 669.34x
Urquhart Glenmoriston 210 214.50x
Govan 188 2.03x
Uig 175 121.25x
Barony 170 1.79x
Kilmuir 166 163.08x
Duirinish 153 86.70x
Sleat 141 171.16x
Portree 117 91.33x
Fodderty 113 140.34x
Glasgow 109 1.64x
Kilmorack 108 102.90x
Barvas 107 50.33x
Golspie 106 171.55x
Kilfinichen 106 132.77x
Gairloch 102 55.59x
Kilmonivaig 97 126.19x
Tyree 92 83.79x
Rosskeen 78 52.06x
Dundee 76 1.90x
Barra 73 84.46x
Aberdeen Old Machar 69 3.08x
Snizort 66 76.43x
Thurso 64 25.85x
Reay 63 72.40x
Kirkhill 62 105.50x
Lairg 61 112.44x
West Greenock 61 3.78x
Logie Wester 57 99.69x
Applecross 55 61.47x
Aston 55 0.68x
Elgin 55 15.70x
Petty 55 90.54x
South Leith 55 3.15x
Lochalsh 54 65.99x
Lochcarron 54 93.33x
Hackney London 53 0.82x
Islington London 52 0.46x
Dingwall 50 55.83x
Nairn 50 23.29x
Latheron 47 17.70x
Lochbroom 47 28.28x
Clyne 46 64.00x
Boleskine Abertarff 45 78.37x
Kilninian Kilmore 44 44.48x
St Pancras London 44 0.47x
Fearn 43 50.71x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 42 2.09x
Kensington London 42 0.65x
Daviot Dunlichity 41 82.33x
Kiltarlity 40 47.10x
Lambeth 40 0.40x
Urquhart 39 90.09x
Knockbain 38 51.02x
St Marylebone London 37 0.60x
Ardclach 36 81.14x
Edinburgh St Georges 35 10.86x
Urray 34 34.40x
Laggan 33 90.29x
St George Hanover 33 2.18x
Forres 31 16.37x
Kilmallie 31 18.68x
Lochs 31 12.23x
Perth St Pauls 31 25.73x
Alvie 30 106.76x
Edinburgh St Stephens 30 9.81x
Liverpool 30 0.36x
West Derby 30 0.75x
Bracadale 29 77.17x
Chelsea London 29 0.83x
Edinburgh Greenside 29 14.13x
Birmingham 28 0.29x
Cathcart 28 5.76x
North Leith 28 3.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 205
Elizabeth 64
Jane 63
Sarah 62
Margaret 59
Ann 50
Annie 49
Ellen 44
Flora 36
Catherine 33
Eliza 31
Emma 25
Alice 22
Jessie 22
Agnes 16
Emily 16
Isabella 16
Maria 15
Louisa 14
Clara 13
Frances 13
Hannah 13
Edith 12
Harriet 12
Helen 12
Kate 12
Florence 11
Julia 11
Caroline 10
Christina 10
Fanny 10
Janet 10
Amy 9
Anne 9
Eleanor 8
Maggie 8
Ada 7
Charlotte 7
Martha 7
Gertrude 6
Harriett 6
Bertha 5
Bridget 5
Lizzie 5
Margt. 5
Rebecca 5
Georgina 4
Katherine 4
Laura 4
Matilda 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 189
William 108
James 103
George 53
Thomas 49
Robert 39
Alexander 37
Henry 31
Charles 30
Edward 19
Archibald 17
Donald 17
Alfred 16
Joseph 15
Walter 15
Richard 13
Daniel 11
Frederick 11
Hugh 11
Samuel 11
Arthur 10
Patrick 10
Peter 10
Duncan 8
Michael 8
Colin 7
David 7
Ernest 7
Geo. 7
Norman 7
Wm. 7
Douglas 6
Francis 6
Kenneth 5
Owen 5
Albert 4
Alexr. 4
Anthony 4
Herbert 4
Malcolm 4
Matthew 4
Neil 4
Robt. 4
Alex 3
Angus 3
Christopher 3
Frank 3
Jas. 3
Reginald 3
Roderick 3

FAQ

Macdonald surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macdonald surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13,320 people were recorded with the Macdonald surname. That placed it at #307 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macdonald surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 41,328 in 2016. That gives Macdonald a modern rank of #117.

What does the Macdonald surname mean?

Son of Donald, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.

What does the Macdonald map show?

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