NameCensus.

UK surname

Mackechnie

Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "mac Eachainn" meaning "son of Hector".

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Mackechnie surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 302, ranked #14,660, up from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to North Bute and Rothesay, Govan Combination and Kilfinichen and Iona. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oban South, Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree and Oban North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mackechnie is 310 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 272.8%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

302

2016, ranked #14,660

Peak year

2010

310 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mackechnie had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 302 in 2016, ranked #14,660.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 168 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Mackechnie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mackechnie surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mackechnie 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 21 #29,550
1861 historical 38 #29,216
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 128 #20,393
1901 historical 168 #16,886
1911 historical 11 #32,463
1997 modern 291 #13,792
1998 modern 300 #13,877
1999 modern 287 #14,374
2000 modern 295 #14,070
2001 modern 303 #13,645
2002 modern 297 #14,081
2003 modern 303 #13,718
2004 modern 308 #13,655
2005 modern 308 #13,590
2006 modern 301 #13,886
2007 modern 282 #14,618
2008 modern 290 #14,466
2009 modern 297 #14,519
2010 modern 310 #14,378
2011 modern 301 #14,563
2012 modern 291 #14,806
2013 modern 306 #14,557
2014 modern 303 #14,733
2015 modern 296 #14,893
2016 modern 302 #14,660

Geography

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Where Mackechnies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around North Bute and Rothesay, Govan Combination, Kilfinichen and Iona, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oban South, Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Oban North, Cowal North and Loch Awe. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 North Bute and Rothesay Bute
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Kilfinichen and Iona Argyll
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oban South Argyll and Bute
2 Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree Argyll and Bute
3 Oban North Argyll and Bute
4 Cowal North Argyll and Bute
5 Loch Awe Argyll and Bute

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mackechnie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mackechnie

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Mackechnie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Mackechnie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mackechnie 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

Mackechnie 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mackechnie

The surname MACKECHNIE is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely in the late medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place name, possibly related to the Gaelic word "ceatharnach," meaning "peasant" or "soldier." The name may have been associated with a particular area or settlement where those bearing the name resided.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the records of the Clan Mackenzie, an influential Scottish clan from the Highlands. In the 16th century, a branch of the clan adopted the spelling MACKECHNIE, possibly due to regional variations or scribal errors in record-keeping.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MACKECHNIE name appeared in various historical documents and records related to land ownership, legal proceedings, and military service in Scotland. One notable figure was John MACKECHNIE, a landowner and minor nobleman from Argyllshire, who was mentioned in the Court of the Lord Lyon (the heraldic authority in Scotland) in 1612.

As Scotland experienced periods of political and religious turmoil, some bearers of the MACKECHNIE name likely migrated to other parts of the British Isles or even further afield. In the late 17th century, a Robert MACKECHNIE was recorded as a merchant in London, England, suggesting the name had spread beyond its Scottish roots.

In the 18th century, a few individuals with the MACKECHNIE surname gained recognition. James MACKECHNIE (1718-1798) was a prominent philosopher and academic who served as the rector of the University of Glasgow. Meanwhile, William MACKECHNIE (1742-1819) was a notable Scottish writer and poet whose works explored themes of nature and rural life.

As the centuries progressed, the MACKECHNIE name continued to be found in various parts of Scotland and beyond. In the 19th century, a family of MACKECHNIES based in Inverness-shire produced several notable figures, including Alexander MACKECHNIE (1810-1876), a successful businessman and landowner, and his son, Robert MACKECHNIE (1845-1912), who became a renowned architect and designed several prominent buildings in the Scottish Highlands.

While the MACKECHNIE surname has never been among the most common in Scotland or elsewhere, it has persisted over the centuries, carrying the echoes of its Scottish heritage and the stories of those who bore the name throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mackechnie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mackechnie 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 33 Mackechnies recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.14x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 33 14.14x
Angus 9 13.46x
Inverness-shire 9 41.76x
Buteshire 8 183.07x
Midlothian 6 6.21x
Argyllshire 5 24.89x
Fife 2 4.68x
Lancashire 1 0.12x
Renfrewshire 1 1.79x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 15 Mackechnies recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.40x.

Place Total Index
Barony 15 25.40x
Dundee 9 36.06x
Glasgow 9 21.72x
Inverness 8 147.60x
Rothesay 8 377.36x
Cambusnethan 7 135.14x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 15.43x
Bowmore 4 869.57x
Rutherglen 2 58.48x
St Andrews 2 103.09x
East Greenock 1 18.94x
Jura 1 500.00x
Kirkhill 1 270.27x
Manchester 1 2.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 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 Mackechnie households.

Occupation Count
Beerhouse Keeper 1

FAQ

Mackechnie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mackechnie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Mackechnie surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mackechnie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 302 in 2016. That gives Mackechnie a modern rank of #14,660.

What does the Mackechnie surname mean?

Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "mac Eachainn" meaning "son of Hector".

What does the Mackechnie map show?

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