NameCensus.

UK surname

Macintosh

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Tòisich," meaning "son of the chief" or "son of the leader."

In the 1881 census there were 1,432 people recorded with the Macintosh surname, ranking it #2,910 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,615, ranked #3,856, down from #2,910 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and Old Machar. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sutherland North and West, Benbecula and North Uist and Skye North West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macintosh is 1,746 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.8%.

1881 census count

1,432

Ranked #2,910

Modern count

1,615

2016, ranked #3,856

Peak year

1901

1,746 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macintosh had 1,432 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,910 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,615 in 2016, ranked #3,856.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,746 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macintosh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macintosh surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macintosh 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 1,056 #2,651
1861 historical 1,117 #2,511
1881 historical 1,432 #2,910
1891 historical 1,475 #2,984
1901 historical 1,746 #2,973
1911 historical 388 #9,497
1997 modern 1,624 #3,649
1998 modern 1,583 #3,871
1999 modern 1,528 #4,012
2000 modern 1,538 #3,978
2001 modern 1,486 #4,011
2002 modern 1,492 #4,092
2003 modern 1,439 #4,131
2004 modern 1,422 #4,168
2005 modern 1,456 #4,062
2006 modern 1,451 #4,077
2007 modern 1,449 #4,116
2008 modern 1,462 #4,110
2009 modern 1,509 #4,099
2010 modern 1,573 #4,018
2011 modern 1,533 #4,076
2012 modern 1,527 #4,013
2013 modern 1,534 #4,069
2014 modern 1,585 #3,971
2015 modern 1,592 #3,917
2016 modern 1,615 #3,856

Geography

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Where Macintoshs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Old Machar, Kilmuir and South Uist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sutherland North and West, Benbecula and North Uist, Skye North West, Skye South 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
4 Kilmuir Inverness
5 South Uist Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sutherland North and West Highland
2 Benbecula and North Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
3 Skye North West Highland
4 Skye South Highland
5 Lochaber East and North Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macintosh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macintosh

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

Macintosh 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

Macintosh falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Macintosh

The surname MacIntosh has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Toisich," which means "son of the chief" or "son of the leader." This suggests that the name was originally borne by the sons of Scottish clan chiefs or other influential figures.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1296, where it is spelled "Makyntoysiche." Over time, various spelling variations emerged, including MacIntosh, MacKintosh, and McIntosh.

In the 14th century, the MacIntosh clan played a prominent role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. The clan's chief at the time, Shaw MacDuff MacIntosh, led his men into battle alongside Robert the Bruce, the King of Scots.

The MacIntosh name is also closely associated with the town of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. One of the earliest recorded instances of the place name "Inverness" can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is referred to as "Inbhir Nis" in the year 1180.

One notable figure bearing the MacIntosh surname was Sir John MacIntosh (c. 1590-1649), a Scottish soldier and landowner who served as a colonel in the Royalist army during the English Civil War. He was killed in battle during the siege of Inverness in 1649.

Another prominent MacIntosh was Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), a Scottish architect, designer, and artist who was a prominent figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and a pioneer of the Art Nouveau style. His work, including the Glasgow School of Art and the Willow Tea Rooms, is widely celebrated for its innovative designs and distinctive aesthetic.

Other notable individuals with the MacIntosh surname include:

1. Lachlan MacIntosh (c. 1725-1806), a Scottish-American soldier and politician who served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

2. James MacIntosh (1765-1832), a Scottish philosopher and lawyer who served as a member of parliament and was known for his contributions to political philosophy and jurisprudence.

3. Maria Jane MacIntosh (1803-1878), an English novelist and travel writer who published several popular novels in the mid-19th century.

4. Everard MacIntosh (1870-1923), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and was a prominent advocate for workers' rights and social reform.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macintosh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macintosh 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 183 Macintoshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 48.58x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 183 48.58x
Aberdeenshire 112 9.59x
Middlesex 100 0.79x
Lanarkshire 82 2.01x
Midlothian 81 4.79x
Morayshire 76 38.78x
Ross-shire 76 21.94x
Lancashire 55 0.37x
Nairnshire 40 103.90x
Yorkshire 39 0.31x
Perthshire 36 6.36x
Angus 31 2.65x
Sutherland 30 30.93x
Fife 29 3.88x
Durham 24 0.64x
Banffshire 23 8.79x
Cumberland 22 2.03x
Renfrewshire 21 2.15x
Northumberland 19 1.01x
Essex 17 0.68x
Ayrshire 16 1.70x
Argyllshire 15 4.27x
Kent 14 0.33x
Stirlingshire 14 3.01x
Devon 13 0.50x
Cambridgeshire 11 1.38x
Caithness 10 5.79x
Cheshire 10 0.36x
Clackmannanshire 10 9.60x
Kincardineshire 10 6.51x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.59x
Surrey 10 0.16x
Bedfordshire 7 1.07x
Warwickshire 6 0.19x
Somerset 5 0.25x
Hampshire 3 0.12x
Lincolnshire 3 0.15x
Berkshire 2 0.21x
Glamorgan 2 0.09x
Hertfordshire 2 0.23x
Leicestershire 2 0.14x
Norfolk 2 0.10x
Peeblesshire 2 3.37x
Royal Navy 2 1.33x
Sussex 2 0.09x
Wiltshire 2 0.18x
Berwickshire 1 0.65x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.13x
Buteshire 1 1.31x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.19x
Dorset 1 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.30x
East Lothian 1 0.60x
Gloucestershire 1 0.04x
Isle of Man 1 0.43x
Oxfordshire 1 0.13x
Shropshire 1 0.09x
Staffordshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cromdale in Morayshire leads with 46 Macintoshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 291.69x.

Place Total Index
Cromdale 46 291.69x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 43 6.33x
Ardclach 38 786.75x
South Uist 37 140.79x
Inverness 32 33.78x
Barony 28 2.71x
Aberdeen Old Machar 27 11.07x
Glasgow 26 3.59x
Govan 20 1.98x
St Pancras London 20 1.97x
Creich 18 186.34x
Barra 16 170.21x
New Machar 16 243.90x
Gairloch 15 75.15x
Peterhead 14 22.66x
Hunslet 13 6.67x
North Uist 13 88.44x
Toxteth Park 13 2.57x
Edinburgh St Georges 12 34.22x
Rathven 12 24.42x
Snizort 12 127.80x
Arlecdon 11 38.09x
St Andrewthe Less 11 12.05x
Drainie 10 57.60x
Forfar 10 15.81x
Kingussie Insh 10 115.74x
Lochalsh 10 112.36x
Nottingham St Mary 10 2.27x
Tillicoultry 10 43.16x
Trumisgarry 10 263.16x
Urray 10 93.02x
Abbey 9 6.03x
Barking 9 12.35x
Dundee 9 2.06x
Islington London 9 0.74x
Kiltearn 9 176.47x
Kirkdale 9 3.57x
Portree 9 64.56x
Tyrie 9 61.39x
Hackney London 8 1.13x
Heaton Norris 8 9.39x
Midmar 8 177.38x
Stirling 8 13.64x
Tormoham 8 7.20x
Burntisland 7 33.52x
Crathie Braemar 7 100.14x
Dornoch 7 64.04x
Duthil 7 97.36x
Gamrie 7 23.96x
Kilmarnock 7 6.23x
Kincardine 7 109.89x
New Deer 7 33.10x
Bedford St Peter 6 35.38x
Broxton 6 266.67x
Clapham 6 3.81x
Fodderty 6 68.49x
Gateshead 6 2.14x
Kilmonivaig 6 71.77x
Kinclaven 6 234.38x
Leeds 6 0.85x
Lewisham 6 2.61x
Little Dunkeld 6 62.44x
Manchester 6 0.89x
Pitsligo 6 53.72x
St Cuthbert W O 6 11.34x
St Marylebone London 6 0.89x
Ardersier 5 55.37x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 4.21x
Cathcart 5 9.45x
Clerkenwell London 5 1.68x
East Stonehouse 5 9.67x
Edinburgh St Johns 5 46.90x
Falkirk 5 4.59x
Hornsey 5 3.13x
Paddington London 5 1.08x
Rishton 5 28.49x
Sleat 5 55.80x
St Luke London 5 2.47x
Whitton 5 169.49x
York All Sts North 5 80.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 27
Elizabeth 11
Ann 9
Ellen 9
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Annie 8
Margaret 7
Isabella 6
Jessie 6
Emma 5
Alice 4
Hannah 4
Kate 4
Amelia 3
Catherine 3
Esther 3
Helen 3
Rachel 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Catharine 2
Eliza 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Isabel 2
Julia 2
Lilly 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Amy 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Bety 1
Clara 1
Daisey 1
Daisy 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Harriet 1
Jennetta 1
June 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 27
James 14
William 14
Charles 10
Alexander 9
Thomas 8
George 6
Robert 6
Duncan 5
Daniel 3
David 3
Henry 3
Hugh 3
Joseph 3
Patrick 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Angus 2
Archibald 2
Arthur 2
Donald 2
Frederick 2
Malcolm 2
Oliver 2
Wilson 2
Wm. 2
Alex 1
Alexr. 1
Alister 1
Archibold 1
Ashton 1
Chas.J. 1
Donland 1
Douglas 1
Edward 1
Enear 1
Eneas 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Graham 1
Henery 1
Horatio 1
I. 1
Kenneth 1
Lindsay 1
Linsay 1
Murdo 1
Peter 1

FAQ

Macintosh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macintosh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,432 people were recorded with the Macintosh surname. That placed it at #2,910 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macintosh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,615 in 2016. That gives Macintosh a modern rank of #3,856.

What does the Macintosh surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Tòisich," meaning "son of the chief" or "son of the leader."

What does the Macintosh map show?

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