NameCensus.

UK surname

Macduff

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Macdubhghaill" meaning son of the black stranger.

In the 1881 census there were 127 people recorded with the Macduff surname, ranking it #17,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 293, ranked #14,981, up from #17,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Little Dunkeld and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirkcaldy Templehall East, Wiltshire and Scone.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macduff is 293 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 130.7%.

1881 census count

127

Ranked #17,166

Modern count

293

2016, ranked #14,981

Peak year

2016

293 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macduff had 127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 293 in 2016, ranked #14,981.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 175 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Macduff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macduff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macduff 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 61 #22,412
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 127 #17,166
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 175 #16,469
1911 historical 97 #23,076
1997 modern 249 #15,319
1998 modern 258 #15,354
1999 modern 263 #15,267
2000 modern 264 #15,191
2001 modern 253 #15,403
2002 modern 263 #15,277
2003 modern 260 #15,216
2004 modern 255 #15,504
2005 modern 262 #15,182
2006 modern 255 #15,521
2007 modern 254 #15,736
2008 modern 261 #15,597
2009 modern 275 #15,349
2010 modern 289 #15,127
2011 modern 269 #15,800
2012 modern 278 #15,333
2013 modern 289 #15,142
2014 modern 292 #15,129
2015 modern 291 #15,078
2016 modern 293 #14,981

Geography

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Where Macduffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Little Dunkeld, St Pancras, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirkcaldy Templehall East, Wiltshire, Scone, Ceredigion and Grangemouth - Newlands. 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 3
2 Little Dunkeld Perth
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirkcaldy Templehall East Fife
2 Wiltshire 042 Wiltshire
3 Scone Perth and Kinross
4 Ceredigion 011 Ceredigion
5 Grangemouth - Newlands Falkirk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macduff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macduff

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Macduff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Macduff household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Macduff is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macduff 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

Macduff falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macduff 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 Macduff, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Macduff

The surname MACDUFF has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Duff, which means "black" or "dark." The prefix "Mac" simply means "son of," indicating that the surname originally denoted someone as the son of Duff.

The name is associated with the historical figure of Macbeth, the King of Scotland who ruled from 1040 to 1057. In the famous play by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is confronted by a character named Macduff, who later kills him in battle. While the character of Macduff is fictional, it's believed that Shakespeare based him on a real individual from the historical period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MACDUFF can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of documents recording the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The surname was prominent in the regions of Fife and Aberdeenshire during this time.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir David MACDUFF, who was a significant landowner in Fife and held the position of Sheriff of Fife. He played a role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Alexander MACDUFF, who lived in the 16th century and served as the Abbot of Melrose Abbey, a powerful and influential position in the Scottish church at the time.

In the 17th century, Kenneth MACDUFF was a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Vindication of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland" (1679).

During the 18th century, James MACDUFF, born in 1753, was a Scottish poet and philosopher who wrote extensively on moral and philosophical themes. He is known for his work "An Essay on the Principle of Moral Estimation" (1801).

Throughout its history, the surname MACDUFF has maintained a strong association with Scotland, particularly in the regions of Fife and Aberdeenshire, where it has been well-established for centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macduff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macduff 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 22 Macduffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.11x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 22 2.11x
Yorkshire 14 1.35x
Midlothian 11 7.87x
Lancashire 10 0.81x
Lanarkshire 9 2.67x
Perthshire 6 12.81x
Renfrewshire 6 7.42x
Ayrshire 5 6.40x
Dumfriesshire 4 17.35x
Nottinghamshire 4 2.84x
Staffordshire 4 1.14x
Argyllshire 3 10.33x
Fife 3 4.86x
East Lothian 2 14.47x
Surrey 2 0.39x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.59x
Lincolnshire 1 0.60x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brightside Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 12 Macduffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.17x.

Place Total Index
Brightside Bierlow 12 59.17x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 12.45x
Glasgow 7 11.68x
Hackney London 7 11.97x
St George Hanover Square 7 38.06x
Abbey 5 40.52x
Kilmarnock 5 53.76x
Oldham 5 12.51x
Auchtergaven 4 506.33x
Dalton 4 1904.76x
Edinburgh St Georges 4 137.93x
Wednesbury 4 45.45x
Chelsea London 3 9.54x
Dunoon Kilmun 3 132.16x
Hampstead London 3 18.46x
Monimail 3 1000.00x
Sutton In Ashfield 3 98.36x
Hambledon 2 370.37x
St Pancras London 2 2.38x
Yester 2 606.06x
Caputh 1 135.14x
Chenies 1 714.29x
Govan 1 1.20x
Halliwell 1 22.17x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 120.48x
Leeds 1 1.71x
Little Dunkeld 1 126.58x
Liverpool 1 1.33x
Moss Side 1 15.34x
Navenby 1 294.12x
North Meols 1 8.25x
Old Monkland 1 7.47x
Pendleton In Salford 1 6.78x
Skegby 1 116.28x
West Greenock 1 6.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 4
Edward 2
John 2
Joseph 2
William 2
Allan 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Frederic 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Gilbert 1
Hector 1
Hugh 1
I.Or 1
Josh. 1
Mansfield 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 1
Wm.Geo. 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 Macduff households.

FAQ

Macduff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macduff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 127 people were recorded with the Macduff surname. That placed it at #17,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macduff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 293 in 2016. That gives Macduff a modern rank of #14,981.

What does the Macduff surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Macdubhghaill" meaning son of the black stranger.

What does the Macduff map show?

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