NameCensus.

UK surname

Mackay

Son of Aodh, a Gaelic name meaning "fire," or a variant of MacKay, meaning "son of Aodh."

In the 1881 census there were 11,492 people recorded with the Mackay surname, ranking it #373 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,069, ranked #313, up from #373 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Tongue. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sutherland North and West, Sutherland South and Sutherland East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mackay is 19,069 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.9%.

1881 census count

11,492

Ranked #373

Modern count

19,069

2016, ranked #313

Peak year

2016

19,069 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mackay had 11,492 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #373 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,069 in 2016, ranked #313.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 15,734 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mackay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mackay surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mackay 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 6,868 #406
1861 historical 5,892 #461
1881 historical 11,492 #373
1891 historical 12,280 #363
1901 historical 15,734 #326
1911 historical 3,333 #1,565
1997 modern 17,099 #345
1998 modern 17,911 #344
1999 modern 17,983 #344
2000 modern 18,374 #331
2001 modern 17,732 #335
2002 modern 18,006 #338
2003 modern 17,655 #336
2004 modern 17,460 #341
2005 modern 17,414 #332
2006 modern 17,436 #333
2007 modern 17,581 #334
2008 modern 17,810 #327
2009 modern 18,191 #328
2010 modern 18,573 #329
2011 modern 18,226 #330
2012 modern 18,305 #324
2013 modern 18,683 #323
2014 modern 19,002 #322
2015 modern 18,986 #320
2016 modern 19,069 #313

Geography

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Where Mackays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Tongue, Farr and Thurso. 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, Sutherland South, Sutherland East, Caithness North West and Thurso West. 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 Tongue Sutherland
4 Farr Sutherland
5 Thurso Caithness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sutherland North and West Highland
2 Sutherland South Highland
3 Sutherland East Highland
4 Caithness North West Highland
5 Thurso West Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mackay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mackay

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

Mackay 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mackay

The surname MACKAY has its origins in the Scottish Highlands and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name "Mac Aidh," meaning "son of Aodh" or "son of Hugh." The name Aodh itself is an old Gaelic name meaning "fire" or "flame."

The earliest known record of the name MACKAY dates back to the early 13th century, with a reference to a "Yharus Maccay" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1263. The name was particularly prominent in the counties of Sutherland and Caithness in the far north of Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the MACKAY name was Iye Monro of Foulis, who was born around 1335 and is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1366. Iye Monro was a notable figure in the clan system of the Scottish Highlands and is considered an ancestor of the MACKAY clan.

In the 15th century, the MACKAY clan played a significant role in the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, where they fought alongside the Earl of Mar against the forces of the Lord of the Isles. The MACKAY chief at the time, Angus Du Mackay, is recorded as having led his clansmen into battle.

The MACKAY surname also has connections to various place names in Scotland, such as Strathnaver and Tongue in Sutherland, as well as the Mackay Islands off the coast of Tongue. The name "Mackay's Country" was once used to refer to the traditional territories of the MACKAY clan in the northern Highlands.

Notable individuals with the surname MACKAY throughout history include:

1. Hugh Mackay (1640-1692), a Scottish military leader who served as a general in the Dutch army and later as a commander-in-chief of the Scottish army during the Glorious Revolution.

2. Ebenezer Mackay (1675-1746), a Scottish writer and journalist who founded the periodical "The Scots Magazine" in 1739.

3. Charles Mackay (1814-1889), a Scottish poet, journalist, and author best known for his works such as "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds" and poems like "Cheer, Boys, Cheer."

4. Angus Mackay (1810-1859), a Scottish-born American explorer and fur trader who played a significant role in the early exploration and settlement of the Pacific Northwest.

5. John William Strutt Mackay (1831-1902), a Scottish-born American mining engineer and entrepreneur who made a fortune in the Comstock Lode silver mines in Nevada.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mackay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mackay 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. Sutherland leads with 2,553 Mackays recorded in 1881 and an index of 314.24x.

County Total Index
Sutherland 2,553 314.24x
Caithness 1,189 82.19x
Midlothian 967 6.83x
Ross-shire 944 32.54x
Lanarkshire 876 2.56x
Inverness-shire 555 17.59x
Middlesex 416 0.39x
Lancashire 338 0.27x
Angus 221 2.26x
Aberdeenshire 210 2.15x
Yorkshire 194 0.19x
Surrey 170 0.33x
Renfrewshire 169 2.06x
Northumberland 157 1.00x
Ayrshire 153 1.93x
Durham 141 0.45x
Banffshire 133 6.07x
Morayshire 121 7.37x
Perthshire 100 2.11x
Kent 81 0.22x
Argyllshire 80 2.72x
Fife 69 1.10x
Stirlingshire 60 1.54x
West Lothian 56 3.52x
Gloucestershire 48 0.23x
Worcestershire 45 0.33x
Warwickshire 41 0.15x
Shetland 37 3.43x
Cumberland 34 0.37x
Clackmannanshire 30 3.44x
Nairnshire 29 8.99x
Essex 28 0.13x
Wiltshire 28 0.30x
Dunbartonshire 26 0.92x
Orkney 26 2.24x
Hampshire 25 0.12x
Devon 24 0.11x
Somerset 24 0.14x
Sussex 24 0.13x
Dumfriesshire 22 0.94x
Buteshire 21 3.28x
East Lothian 20 1.43x
Staffordshire 20 0.06x
Roxburghshire 19 0.99x
Cheshire 18 0.08x
Lincolnshire 18 0.11x
Selkirkshire 18 1.88x
Wigtownshire 18 1.28x
Glamorgan 17 0.09x
Kincardineshire 17 1.32x
Cambridgeshire 13 0.19x
Derbyshire 12 0.07x
Leicestershire 12 0.10x
Peeblesshire 12 2.41x
Berwickshire 11 0.86x
Herefordshire 11 0.25x
Northamptonshire 11 0.11x
Channel Islands 10 0.32x
Suffolk 10 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 0.59x
Monmouthshire 8 0.10x
Norfolk 8 0.05x
Westmorland 8 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 7 0.11x
Shropshire 7 0.08x
Cornwall 6 0.05x
Oxfordshire 6 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.24x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.04x
Berkshire 4 0.05x
Flintshire 4 0.14x
Hertfordshire 4 0.05x
Isle of Man 4 0.20x
Royal Navy 4 0.32x
Caernarfonshire 3 0.07x
Bedfordshire 2 0.04x
Cardiganshire 1 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.02x
Dorset 1 0.01x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tongue in Sutherland leads with 897 Mackays recorded in 1881 and an index of 1277.78x.

Place Total Index
Tongue 897 1277.78x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 496 8.71x
Dornoch 365 398.73x
Farr 294 419.70x
Thurso 294 130.30x
Reay 273 344.22x
Barony 257 2.97x
Govan 241 2.85x
Rogart 234 521.74x
Latheron 232 95.87x
Lairg 226 457.12x
Inverness 192 24.19x
Glasgow 185 3.05x
Durness 167 467.79x
Clyne 147 224.43x
Wick 130 27.82x
Stornoway 127 33.58x
Harris 106 66.84x
Golspie 100 177.59x
Halkirk 99 101.15x
South Leith 98 6.15x
Dundee 94 2.57x
Uig 89 67.66x
Watten 89 175.02x
Aberdeen Old Machar 81 3.96x
Lochalsh 74 99.22x
Eddrachillis 71 128.65x
Gamrie 71 29.02x
Tain 71 64.60x
South Uist 62 28.16x
St Pancras London 62 0.73x
Fodderty 58 79.04x
Rosskeen 57 41.74x
Elgin 53 16.60x
Lochcarron 51 96.72x
Dingwall 50 61.25x
Cromarty 48 61.82x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 46 2.51x
North Leith 46 7.02x
Fearn 45 58.22x
Kensington London 44 0.75x
Fordyce 40 25.37x
Liverpool 40 0.53x
Edinburgh St Marys 39 14.17x
Olrig 37 51.20x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 35 10.45x
Kilmuir 35 37.73x
Lambeth 34 0.37x
Urray 34 37.74x
Liff Benvie 33 2.22x
Edinburgh St Stephens 32 11.48x
West Greenock 32 2.18x
Barvas 31 16.00x
Camberwell 30 0.44x
Kilmarnock 30 3.19x
Morpeth 30 16.23x
West Derby 30 0.82x
Bathgate 29 8.40x
Hamilton 29 3.04x
Kincardine 29 54.33x
Creich 28 34.59x
Edinburgh New North 28 22.73x
Edinburgh St Georges 28 9.53x
Manchester 28 0.50x
Poplar London 28 1.40x
Battersea 27 0.69x
Old Monkland 27 1.99x
Kings Norton 26 2.10x
North Bierley 26 4.60x
Duddingston 24 8.45x
Duirinish 24 14.92x
Toxteth Park 24 0.57x
Birmingham 23 0.26x
Kilmorack 23 24.04x
Edinburgh St Andrews 22 18.82x
Cathcart 21 4.74x
Lochs 21 9.09x
Logie Easter 21 69.12x
Unst 21 26.61x
Westminster St 21 5.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 125
William 121
James 76
George 60
Thomas 43
Robert 38
Alexander 36
Charles 29
Joseph 19
Donald 18
David 17
Edward 17
Henry 17
Angus 14
Francis 10
Hugh 10
Wm. 10
Alfred 9
Ernest 9
Samuel 9
Andrew 7
Geo. 7
Peter 7
Arthur 6
Frederick 6
Michael 6
Patrick 6
Walter 6
Alex 5
Archibald 5
Daniel 5
Duncan 5
Herbert 5
Kenneth 5
Richard 5
Robt. 5
Jno. 4
Neil 4
Ralph 4
A. 3
Benjamin 3
Eric 3
Fred 3
Fredk. 3
Harold 3
Harry 3
Percy 3
Stephen 3
W. 3
Wallace 3

FAQ

Mackay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mackay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11,492 people were recorded with the Mackay surname. That placed it at #373 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mackay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,069 in 2016. That gives Mackay a modern rank of #313.

What does the Mackay surname mean?

Son of Aodh, a Gaelic name meaning "fire," or a variant of MacKay, meaning "son of Aodh."

What does the Mackay map show?

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