NameCensus.

UK surname

Macewen

A surname of Scottish origin meaning "Son of Ewen" (a form of the name Evan).

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Macewen surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 138, ranked #25,127, down from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Comrie and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochaber West, Central Bedfordshire and Blackford, West Mains and Mayfield Road.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macewen is 141 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 84.0%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

138

2016, ranked #25,127

Peak year

2015

141 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macewen had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016, ranked #25,127.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 107 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Macewen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macewen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macewen 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 71 #27,934
1901 historical 107 #21,955
1911 historical 41 #28,802
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 110 #26,129
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 120 #25,269
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 119 #26,067
2009 modern 124 #25,957
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 126 #26,148
2013 modern 134 #25,525
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 141 #24,723
2016 modern 138 #25,127

Geography

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Where Macewens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Comrie, London parishes, Edinburgh and Kilmuir. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochaber West, Central Bedfordshire, Blackford, West Mains and Mayfield Road, Canterbury and Stonehaven South. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Comrie Perth
3 London parishes London 1
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kilmuir Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochaber West Highland
2 Central Bedfordshire 027 Central Bedfordshire
3 Blackford, West Mains and Mayfield Road City of Edinburgh
4 Canterbury 011 Canterbury
5 Stonehaven South Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macewen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macewen

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Macewen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Macewen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Macewen 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

Macewen 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

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

Meaning and origin of Macewen

The surname Macewen has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Eòghan," which means "born of the yew tree." The prefix "Mac" means "son of," indicating that the name was initially given as a patronymic, referring to the son of a person named Eòghan.

The name Macewen has been recorded in various forms throughout history, including Maceuan, Macewan, and Makewen. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to 1296, when Gillebride Maceuan appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England during his conquest of Scotland.

In the 16th century, the Macewen family held lands in the parish of Kilmadock, near Doune, in Perthshire. This region is believed to be the ancestral home of the Macewens, and the name is still prevalent in this area today.

Notable figures bearing the Macewen surname include John Macewen (1661-1732), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1724. Another notable Macewen was Sir William Macewen (1848-1924), a renowned Scottish surgeon who pioneered techniques in brain surgery and was instrumental in establishing the Glasgow Royal Infirmary as a leading medical institution.

In the literary world, there was Constance Macewen (1838-1910), a Scottish writer and poet who published several volumes of poetry, including "Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers" and "The Bermudan."

John Macewen (1788-1868), a Scottish inventor and engineer, is credited with the development of the Macewen bridge, a type of bridge truss design that was widely used in the construction of early railroad bridges.

Lastly, Sir James Macewen (1835-1906) was a Scottish politician and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland and later as a Senator of the College of Justice, holding the judicial title of Lord Macewen.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Macewen, reflecting the rich heritage and significance of this Scottish name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macewen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macewen 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. Lanarkshire leads with 10 Macewens recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.13x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 10 8.13x
Ross-shire 8 76.56x
Caithness 5 95.97x
Lancashire 4 0.89x
Argyllshire 2 18.89x
Durham 2 1.77x
Inverness-shire 2 17.61x
Ayrshire 1 3.51x
East Lothian 1 19.84x
Kent 1 0.77x
Northumberland 1 1.77x
Renfrewshire 1 3.39x
West Lothian 1 17.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fodderty in Ross-shire leads with 8 Macewens recorded in 1881 and an index of 3076.92x.

Place Total Index
Fodderty 8 3076.92x
Glasgow 5 22.89x
Govan 5 16.44x
Wick 5 297.62x
Everton 2 13.90x
Glenorchy Inishail 2 1666.67x
Inverness 2 69.93x
Manchester 2 9.85x
Usworth 2 333.33x
Abbey 1 22.22x
Acomb 1 714.29x
Ayr 1 74.63x
Dunbar 1 140.85x
Margate St John Baptist 1 42.02x
Whitburn 1 120.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 2
Mary 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
Constantine 1
James 1
Jno. 1
John 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 Macewen households.

FAQ

Macewen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macewen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Macewen surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macewen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016. That gives Macewen a modern rank of #25,127.

What does the Macewen surname mean?

A surname of Scottish origin meaning "Son of Ewen" (a form of the name Evan).

What does the Macewen map show?

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