NameCensus.

UK surname

Macinnes

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic 'mac Aonghuis' meaning 'son of Angus'.

In the 1881 census there were 516 people recorded with the Macinnes surname, ranking it #6,607 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,506, ranked #2,639, up from #6,607 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Duirnish, Strath and South Uist. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barra and South Uist, Skye South and Oban South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macinnes is 2,506 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 385.7%.

1881 census count

516

Ranked #6,607

Modern count

2,506

2016, ranked #2,639

Peak year

2016

2,506 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macinnes had 516 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,607 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,506 in 2016, ranked #2,639.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 807 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macinnes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macinnes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macinnes 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 526 #4,768
1861 historical 543 #4,837
1881 historical 516 #6,607
1891 historical 734 #5,406
1901 historical 807 #5,591
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 2,075 #2,961
1998 modern 2,156 #2,969
1999 modern 2,179 #2,959
2000 modern 2,237 #2,877
2001 modern 2,176 #2,893
2002 modern 2,212 #2,902
2003 modern 2,228 #2,828
2004 modern 2,152 #2,922
2005 modern 2,152 #2,888
2006 modern 2,171 #2,869
2007 modern 2,210 #2,853
2008 modern 2,222 #2,860
2009 modern 2,257 #2,886
2010 modern 2,279 #2,921
2011 modern 2,237 #2,936
2012 modern 2,323 #2,787
2013 modern 2,406 #2,750
2014 modern 2,456 #2,725
2015 modern 2,472 #2,684
2016 modern 2,506 #2,639

Geography

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Where Macinnes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Duirnish, Strath, South Uist, Snizort 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 Barra and South Uist, Skye South, Oban South, South Lewis and Lochaber East and North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Duirnish Inverness
2 Strath Inverness
3 South Uist Inverness
4 Snizort Inverness
5 Kilninian and Kilmore Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barra and South Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Skye South Highland
3 Oban South Argyll and Bute
4 South Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar
5 Lochaber East and North Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macinnes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macinnes

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

Macinnes 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

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

Meaning and origin of Macinnes

The surname MacInnes has its origins in Scotland, deriving from the Gaelic name 'Mac an Oighre', which translates to 'son of the heir'. It is thought to have emerged in the 13th century among the Clan MacInnes, a Highland Scottish clan situated primarily in Morvern, Ardgour, and surrounding areas of Argyll.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be 'MacAnoveyr' in 1292, found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. Variations in spelling were common, with 'MacInnyr', 'MacInnis', and 'MacInnes' being used interchangeably in historical records.

In the 16th century, the MacInnes clan was involved in feuds with neighboring clans, such as the Camerons and the MacLeans. One notable figure from this time was Lachlann MacInnes, a clan chief who fought alongside the Earl of Argyll during the Scottish Reformation in the 1560s.

The name is also linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Innis Chonain (anglicized as Inconian) in Argyll, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In the 17th century, records show individuals bearing the surname MacInnes living in various parts of Scotland, including the Highlands, Lowlands, and the Hebrides islands. One notable figure was John MacInnes, a Presbyterian minister born in Argyll in 1670, who played a role in the resistance against the imposition of Episcopacy in Scotland during the reign of King Charles II.

Another prominent individual was Angus MacInnes, a Jacobite soldier born in 1690, who fought alongside Prince Charles Edward Stuart during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. After the defeat of the Jacobites at Culloden, he fled to France where he lived out the remainder of his life.

In the 19th century, individuals with the surname MacInnes can be found in various historical records, including census data and emigration lists. One notable figure was John MacInnes, a Scottish-born explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in North America and the Arctic regions in the 1840s and 1850s, making significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in these areas.

As the centuries progressed, individuals bearing the surname MacInnes continued to make their mark in various fields, including academia, literature, and the arts, both in Scotland and around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macinnes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macinnes 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 247 Macinnes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 223.71x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 247 223.71x
Argyllshire 56 54.42x
Ross-shire 40 39.40x
Lanarkshire 10 0.84x
Lancashire 8 0.18x
Cumberland 5 1.57x
Dunbartonshire 5 5.03x
Nairnshire 2 17.73x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Derbyshire 1 0.17x
Middlesex 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.20x
Perthshire 1 0.60x
Sutherland 1 3.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sleat in Inverness-shire leads with 84 Macinnes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3193.92x.

Place Total Index
Sleat 84 3193.92x
South Uist 55 714.29x
Stornoway 26 196.52x
Portree 25 611.25x
Trumisgarry 20 1801.80x
Snizort 19 690.91x
Kilmallie 17 321.36x
Harris 11 198.20x
Kilmore Kilbride 10 153.14x
Tyree 9 257.14x
Inverness 8 28.81x
North Uist 8 185.61x
Toxteth Park 8 5.39x
Dalavich 7 2413.79x
Kilmonivaig 7 285.71x
Kilninian Kilmore 7 222.22x
Barony 6 1.98x
Duirinish 5 88.81x
Lochalsh 5 191.57x
Old Kilpatrick 5 42.59x
Stanwix 5 193.80x
Uig 5 108.70x
Kilfinichen 4 156.86x
Barra 3 108.70x
Glasgow 3 1.41x
Ardnamurchan 2 38.31x
Auldearn 2 121.21x
Lochs 2 24.75x
Bernera 1 172.41x
Callander 1 36.50x
Derby St Alkmund 1 5.76x
Eddrachillis 1 51.81x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.50x
Gairloch 1 17.09x
Glenshiel 1 185.19x
Hampstead London 1 1.74x
Old Monkland 1 2.11x
Strath 1 29.76x
Wallasey 1 35.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Anna 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Dora 1
Ellen 1
Euphemia 1
Eva 1
Hope 1
Margaret 1
Margery 1
Marion 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Miles 1
Peter 1
Rennie 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 Macinnes households.

FAQ

Macinnes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macinnes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 516 people were recorded with the Macinnes surname. That placed it at #6,607 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macinnes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,506 in 2016. That gives Macinnes a modern rank of #2,639.

What does the Macinnes surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic 'mac Aonghuis' meaning 'son of Angus'.

What does the Macinnes map show?

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