NameCensus.

UK surname

Mackel

An anglicized form of the Scottish surname McKail or the Gaelic name MacCathail, meaning "son of Cathal".

In the 1881 census there were 20 people recorded with the Mackel surname, ranking it #30,738 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 112, ranked #28,844, up from #30,738 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland and Forest of Dean.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mackel is 112 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 460.0%.

1881 census count

20

Ranked #30,738

Modern count

112

2016, ranked #28,844

Peak year

2016

112 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mackel had 20 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,738 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016, ranked #28,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 42 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mackel surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mackel surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mackel 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 30 #30,188
1881 historical 20 #30,738
1891 historical 42 #31,018
1901 historical 23 #31,466
1911 historical 24 #30,800
1997 modern 69 #30,712
1998 modern 72 #30,775
1999 modern 70 #31,135
2000 modern 82 #29,922
2001 modern 84 #29,508
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 83 #30,088
2004 modern 85 #30,132
2005 modern 84 #30,359
2006 modern 85 #30,556
2007 modern 89 #30,383
2008 modern 90 #30,567
2009 modern 95 #30,393
2010 modern 98 #30,540
2011 modern 93 #31,169
2012 modern 102 #29,902
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 103 #30,539
2015 modern 105 #30,092
2016 modern 112 #28,844

Geography

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Where Mackels are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland and Forest of Dean. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 003 Sunderland
2 Sunderland 032 Sunderland
3 Sunderland 027 Sunderland
4 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
5 Sunderland 014 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mackel

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mackel

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Mackel surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mackel household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Mackel is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mackel is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mackel falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mackel is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mackel, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mackel

The surname MACKEL is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "mac" meaning "son" and the personal name "Kele" or "Ceallach," meaning "bright" or "bright-headed." It is thought to have originated in the 12th or 13th century in the region of Argyllshire, located in the western Highlands of Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MACKEL can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a series of homage rolls recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence. The name appears as "Makele" in these records.

In the 15th century, the MACKEL surname is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were records of income and expenditure maintained by the Scottish government. The name is spelled "Makkell" in these documents, reflecting the evolution of the spelling over time.

The MACKEL surname is also associated with the Scottish clan system, specifically the Clan MacKenzie. While not directly related to the chiefly line of the clan, some MACKELs may have been septs or branches of the larger clan.

One notable figure in history with the MACKEL surname is John MACKEL (1648-1714), a Scottish philosopher and theologian who served as the principal of the University of Glasgow. Another individual of note is James MACKEL (1774-1848), a Scottish writer and poet who published a collection of poems titled "The Poetical Works of James MACKEL" in 1818.

In the early 19th century, the MACKEL surname can be found in the records of the Old Parish Registers of Scotland, which documented births, marriages, and deaths. These records often provide valuable insights into the geographical distribution and variations in spelling of the name.

Other notable individuals with the MACKEL surname include Robert MACKEL (1815-1887), a Scottish engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engines, and Margaret MACKEL (1860-1928), a Scottish educator and advocate for women's rights who co-founded the Scottish Association for the Promotion of Women's Public Work.

While the MACKEL surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world through emigration and cultural diffusion. The name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, but its Scottish heritage and connection to the Gaelic language remain evident in its origins and history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mackel families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mackel 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. Durham leads with 10 Mackels recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.25x.

County Total Index
Durham 10 17.25x
Yorkshire 4 2.07x
Middlesex 2 1.03x
Suffolk 2 8.43x
Kent 1 1.50x
Northumberland 1 3.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sunderland in Durham leads with 10 Mackels recorded in 1881 and an index of 980.39x.

Place Total Index
Sunderland 10 980.39x
Ormesby 4 769.23x
Gorleston 2 333.33x
Chelsea London 1 17.04x
Elswick 1 43.29x
Folkestone 1 77.52x
St Marylebone London 1 9.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 3
Augusta 1
Catherine 1
E. 1
Louisa 1
M.A. 1
Margaret 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Arthur 1
Conrad 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
James 1
Luis 1
Oscar 1
Robert 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 Mackel households.

FAQ

Mackel surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mackel surname in 1881?

In 1881, 20 people were recorded with the Mackel surname. That placed it at #30,738 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mackel surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 112 in 2016. That gives Mackel a modern rank of #28,844.

What does the Mackel surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Scottish surname McKail or the Gaelic name MacCathail, meaning "son of Cathal".

What does the Mackel map show?

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