NameCensus.

UK surname

Maceachern

Scottish surname meaning "son of Eachern", derived from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Eachadhraidh.

In the 1881 census there were 41 people recorded with the Maceachern surname, ranking it #27,870 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 116, ranked #28,197, down from #27,870 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arisaig and Moidart, Kilfinichen and Iona and Tiree and Coll. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Whisky Isles, Skye South and Knapdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maceachern is 125 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 182.9%.

1881 census count

41

Ranked #27,870

Modern count

116

2016, ranked #28,197

Peak year

2002

125 bearers

Map years

4

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maceachern had 41 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,870 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016, ranked #28,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Maceachern surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maceachern surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maceachern 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 15 #31,942
1881 historical 41 #27,870
1891 historical 8 #33,550
1901 historical 10 #33,026
1997 modern 114 #24,967
1998 modern 118 #25,041
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 110 #26,430
2006 modern 110 #26,717
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 115 #26,635
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 118 #27,404
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 120 #27,561
2016 modern 116 #28,197

Geography

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Where Maceacherns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arisaig and Moidart, Kilfinichen and Iona, Tiree and Coll, Kilmore and Kilbride and Kilninian and Kilmore. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Whisky Isles, Skye South, Knapdale, Lomond Shore and Mearns and Laurencekirk. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Arisaig and Moidart Inverness
2 Kilfinichen and Iona Argyll
3 Tiree and Coll Argyll
4 Kilmore and Kilbride Argyll
5 Kilninian and Kilmore Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Whisky Isles Argyll and Bute
2 Skye South Highland
3 Knapdale Argyll and Bute
4 Lomond Shore Argyll and Bute
5 Mearns and Laurencekirk Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maceachern

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maceachern

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Maceachern is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Maceachern is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Maceachern

The surname MacEachern is a Scottish clan name derived from the Gaelic "Mac Eacharna" or "Mac Eachainn," meaning "son of Eacharn" or "son of Hector." The name can be traced back to the islands of Islay and Kintyre in Argyll, Scotland, where the MacEacherns were a prominent family in the 13th and 14th centuries.

The earliest recorded reference to the name dates back to 1292, when Gilchrist MacEachern was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls as swearing fealty to King Edward I of England. The MacEacherns were known for their involvement in the Wars of Scottish Independence, supporting Robert the Bruce against the English.

In the 15th century, the MacEacherns were recognized as a distinct branch of the powerful Clan Donald, one of the largest Scottish clans. The name appears in various historical records, such as the Book of Islay in 1509, which mentions John MacEachern as a notable figure on the island.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname was Sir John MacEachern, who lived in the late 16th century. He was a renowned warrior and chief of the MacEacherns, known for his involvement in the clan battles and feuds of the time. Another notable figure was Archibald MacEachern (1670-1738), a Scottish minister and writer who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1726.

The surname has also been found in various place names, such as Kilmacharmick (meaning "the church of the son of Hector") and Drumacharmick (meaning "the ridge of the son of Hector"), both located in Argyll. These place names reflect the strong presence of the MacEacherns in the region throughout history.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Sir John MacEachern (1781-1861), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, and John MacEachern (1847-1904), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

While the surname has evolved in spelling over time, with variations such as MacEacharn, MacEachren, and MacEachrann, the core meaning and origin remain rooted in the Scottish Gaelic language and the historical presence of the MacEachern clan in the Western Isles of Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maceachern families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maceachern 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 4 Maceacherns recorded in 1881 and an index of 370.37x.

County Total Index
Argyllshire 4 370.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ardnamurchan in Argyllshire leads with 3 Maceacherns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6000.00x.

Place Total Index
Ardnamurchan 3 6000.00x
Tyree 1 2500.00x

FAQ

Maceachern surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maceachern surname in 1881?

In 1881, 41 people were recorded with the Maceachern surname. That placed it at #27,870 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maceachern surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 116 in 2016. That gives Maceachern a modern rank of #28,197.

What does the Maceachern surname mean?

Scottish surname meaning "son of Eachern", derived from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Eachadhraidh.

What does the Maceachern map show?

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