UK surname

Mackellar

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic 'MacCeallúraidh' meaning "son of the clerk or monk".

In the 1881 census there were 79 people recorded with the Mackellar surname, ranking it #22,357 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 504, ranked #9,938, up from #22,357 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to North Bute and Rothesay, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Badenoch and Strathspey North, Parkhead East and Braidfauld North and Cowal North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mackellar is 505 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 538.0%.

1881 census count

Ranked #22,357

Modern count

504

2016, ranked #9,938

Peak year

2014

505 bearers

Map years

1861 to 2016

Key insights

• Mackellar had 79 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,357 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 504 in 2016, ranked #9,938.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 211 in 1901.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Map

Mackellar surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mackellar surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Mackellar 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	87	#18,695
1861	historical	116	#18,751
1881	historical	79	#22,357
1891	historical	122	#21,053
1901	historical	211	#14,647
1911	historical	23	#30,923
1997	modern	418	#10,648
1998	modern	446	#10,469
1999	modern	451	#10,435
2000	modern	449	#10,459
2001	modern	451	#10,212
2002	modern	442	#10,605
2003	modern	455	#10,201
2004	modern	456	#10,188
2005	modern	461	#10,022
2006	modern	461	#10,054
2007	modern	459	#10,177
2008	modern	464	#10,190
2009	modern	480	#10,162
2010	modern	502	#10,029
2011	modern	486	#10,168
2012	modern	474	#10,254
2013	modern	485	#10,267
2014	modern	505	#10,012
2015	modern	502	#9,972
2016	modern	504	#9,938

Geography

Where Mackellars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around North Bute and Rothesay, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Badenoch and Strathspey North, Parkhead East and Braidfauld North, Cowal North, Dunoon and Milton Keynes. 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	North Bute and Rothesay	Bute
2	Govan Combination	Lanark
3	Edinburgh	Edinburgh
4	Greenock	Renfrew
5	Glasgow	Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Badenoch and Strathspey North	Highland
2	Parkhead East and Braidfauld North	Glasgow City
3	Cowal North	Argyll and Bute
4	Dunoon	Argyll and Bute
5	Milton Keynes 023	Milton Keynes

Forenames

First names often paired with Mackellar

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

Historical female names

Mary Margaret Janet Ann Catherine Agnes Elizabeth Jessie Isabella Annie

Historical male names

John Archibald Duncan Peter Alexander James Donald William Robert Malcolm

Recent female names

Margaret Mary Fiona Elizabeth Anne Susan Gillian Catherine Marion Maureen

Recent male names

James Andrew John Duncan Alan Peter Colin Robert Ian Scott

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Mackellar

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Mackellar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mackellar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mackellar is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mackellar 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mackellar 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.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mackellar 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.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Mackellar

The surname MACKELLAR is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic personal name "Cellair" or "Cellarius," meaning "cellarer" or "steward." The prefix "Mac" signifies "son of," indicating that the name MACKELLAR refers to the son of a person who held the occupation of a cellarer or steward, typically in a monastery or estate.

The earliest recorded instance of the name MACKELLAR can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as "Mackellar." This document contains the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the MACKELLAR family was prominent in the areas of Galloway and Ayrshire in southwestern Scotland. Records show that in 1451, a John MACKELLAR was granted land in the parish of Girvan, Ayrshire, by the Earl of Cassillis.

One of the notable historical figures bearing the surname MACKELLAR was Patrick MACKELLAR (1717-1778), a Scottish poet and dramatist. He was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, and is best known for his satirical works, including the play "The Puck of Pelham Meadow."

Another prominent individual was Thomas MACKELLAR (1812-1857), a Scottish-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Astor Library and the former Presbyterian Church on Fifth Avenue.

In the 19th century, the MACKELLAR surname was also found in the United States. One notable figure was Thomas MACKELLAR (1834-1912), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Sperry and Hutchinson Company, known for its iconic "S&H Green Stamps" trading stamp program.

Other notable individuals with the MACKELLAR surname include:

1. Kenneth MACKELLAR (1888-1949), an Australian poet and novelist, best known for his works portraying life in the Australian outback. 2. Dorothea MACKELLAR (1885-1968), an Australian poet and writer, famous for her iconic poem "My Country," which celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Australian landscape. 3. Alexander MACKELLAR (1843-1917), a Scottish-Canadian politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons. 4. Angus MACKELLAR (1824-1890), a Scottish-Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the exploration and mapping of South Australia and Victoria in the 19th century.

The MACKELLAR surname has been present across various regions, including Scotland, Australia, Canada, and the United States, reflecting the migration patterns of Scottish families over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Mackellar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mackellar 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 21 Mackellars recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.40x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Lanarkshire	21	0.00%	10.40x
Renfrewshire	13	0.01%	26.87x
Middlesex	9	0.00%	1.44x
Stirlingshire	8	0.01%	34.74x
Argyllshire	7	0.01%	40.28x
Midlothian	2	0.00%	2.39x
Royal Navy	2	0.01%	26.88x
Cheshire	1	0.00%	0.73x
East Lothian	1	0.00%	12.09x

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 18 Mackellars recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.23x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Barony	18	0.01%	35.23x
West Greenock	13	0.03%	149.77x
Bromley London	5	0.01%	36.42x
Buchanan	5	0.91%	4166.67x
Kilmallie	5	0.12%	561.80x
Falkirk	3	0.01%	55.66x
Glasgow	3	0.00%	8.37x
Kensington London	3	0.00%	8.64x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts	2	0.00%	5.94x
Birkenhead	1	0.00%	9.10x
Dirleton	1	0.07%	312.50x
Inverchaolain	1	0.25%	1111.11x
Kilfinichen	1	0.05%	232.56x
St George Bloomsbury	1	0.01%	27.93x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Clare	1
Euphemia	1
Georgina	1
Isabella	1
Jesse	1
Mary	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
John	3
James	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 Mackellar households.

Occupation	Count
Chief Engineer	1
Engine Fitter	1
Labourer (Iron Wks)	1
Laundress	1
Retired Bank Manager	1
Scholar	1
Tablemaid	1

FAQ

Mackellar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mackellar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 79 people were recorded with the Mackellar surname. That placed it at #22,357 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mackellar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 504 in 2016. That gives Mackellar a modern rank of #9,938.

What does the Mackellar surname mean?