NameCensus.

UK surname

Mackinder

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Fhionndair meaning "son of the fair one".

In the 1881 census there were 264 people recorded with the Mackinder surname, ranking it #10,655 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 356, ranked #12,978, down from #10,655 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burgh-in-the-Marsh, Lincoln St Botolph and Louth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mackinder is 409 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.8%.

1881 census count

264

Ranked #10,655

Modern count

356

2016, ranked #12,978

Peak year

1998

409 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mackinder had 264 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,655 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016, ranked #12,978.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 381 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mackinder surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mackinder surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mackinder 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 221 #9,630
1861 historical 209 #11,596
1881 historical 264 #10,655
1891 historical 279 #11,698
1901 historical 342 #10,608
1911 historical 381 #9,635
1997 modern 396 #11,086
1998 modern 409 #11,172
1999 modern 409 #11,264
2000 modern 395 #11,503
2001 modern 391 #11,404
2002 modern 396 #11,523
2003 modern 386 #11,544
2004 modern 383 #11,650
2005 modern 378 #11,692
2006 modern 376 #11,775
2007 modern 371 #12,053
2008 modern 390 #11,693
2009 modern 389 #11,980
2010 modern 389 #12,251
2011 modern 374 #12,464
2012 modern 353 #12,877
2013 modern 358 #12,952
2014 modern 356 #13,098
2015 modern 355 #13,033
2016 modern 356 #12,978

Geography

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Where Mackinders are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burgh-in-the-Marsh, Lincoln St Botolph, Louth, Hull Holy Trinity and Belleau. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Lindsey and Kingston upon Hull. 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 Burgh-in-the-Marsh Lincolnshire
2 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
3 Louth Lincolnshire
4 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Belleau Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 054 Wiltshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 033 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 East Lindsey 013 East Lindsey
4 Kingston upon Hull 004 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mackinder

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mackinder

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mackinder 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

Mackinder is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mackinder falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mackinder 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mackinder

The surname MACKINDER is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "cinndear" meaning "chief" or "leader." It is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century in the Scottish Highlands.

MACKINDER is a variation of the more common surname MACKINDER, which is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll and the Western Isles. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Scottish charters and records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gillebride MACKINDER, who was a member of the Clan Mackinder and lived in the 13th century. The Clan Mackinder was a prominent Highland clan with strong ties to the Lords of the Isles, who ruled over parts of the Hebrides and western Scotland during the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, the MACKINDER name appeared in the Book of Arran, a record of landowners and tenants on the Isle of Arran. This suggests that the name had spread to the islands off the western coast of Scotland by this time.

The name MACKINDER is closely associated with the Hebridean island of Islay, where it is believed to have been particularly prevalent. One notable individual with this surname was John MACKINDER (1827-1898), a renowned Scottish author and historian who wrote extensively about the history and culture of Islay.

Other notable MACKINDERS throughout history include:

1. Sir Halford John MACKINDER (1861-1947), an English geographer and academic who proposed the "Heartland Theory" of geopolitics. 2. Alexander MACKINDER (1835-1914), a Scottish architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow. 3. Eliza MACKINDER (1870-1949), an English suffragist and co-founder of the Women's Tax Resistance League. 4. Donald MACKINDER (1864-1928), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives. 5. James MACKINDER (1808-1876), a Scottish minister and educator who served as the Principal of Queen's College, Kingston, Canada.

While the name MACKINDER is found most prominently in Scotland and areas with Scottish heritage, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration and diaspora communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mackinder families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mackinder 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. Lincolnshire leads with 168 Mackinders recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.91x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 168 41.91x
Yorkshire 39 1.57x
Kent 8 0.94x
Surrey 8 0.65x
Huntingdonshire 7 14.06x
Nottinghamshire 6 1.78x
Cambridgeshire 5 3.15x
Middlesex 5 0.20x
Northamptonshire 5 2.12x
Leicestershire 2 0.72x
Durham 1 0.13x
Essex 1 0.20x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Northumberland 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hundleby in Lincolnshire leads with 19 Mackinders recorded in 1881 and an index of 3518.52x.

Place Total Index
Hundleby 19 3518.52x
Alford 11 443.55x
Burgh In Marsh 10 1020.41x
Holy Trinity 10 16.74x
Louth 9 97.93x
Horncastle 8 193.24x
Sculcoates 8 20.31x
Spilsby 8 629.92x
Sempringham 7 10000.00x
Sheffield 7 8.85x
Skelton In Guisbrough 7 104.17x
South Kyme 7 1555.56x
Welton In The Marsh 7 2187.50x
Camberwell 6 3.75x
Eastville 6 1935.48x
Maidstone 6 23.55x
St Martin Lincoln 6 161.29x
Woodstone 6 759.49x
Belleau 5 8333.33x
Gainsborough 5 52.91x
Peterborough 5 29.29x
St Maryle Wigford 5 160.77x
St Swithin Lincoln 5 79.37x
Staunton 5 6250.00x
Langton By Spilsby 4 2105.26x
Reepham 4 1290.32x
St Michael Lincoln 4 366.97x
St Peterin Eastgate 4 322.58x
Wisbech St Peter 4 50.25x
Brightside Bierlow 3 6.16x
Digby 3 1153.85x
Kimberworth 3 21.75x
Skirbeck 3 133.33x
St Benedict Lincoln 3 555.56x
St Luke London 3 7.46x
Wainfleet St Mary 3 491.80x
Bracebridge 2 109.89x
Epsom 2 33.61x
Holbeach 2 44.84x
Islington London 2 0.82x
South Common Lincoln 2 952.38x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 2 35.46x
Ashby De La Laund 1 666.67x
Boston 1 8.22x
Chirton 1 11.85x
Dovercourt 1 57.47x
Easington 1 92.59x
Elm 1 64.52x
Fleet 1 87.72x
Fletton 1 62.89x
Folkestone 1 6.03x
Glen Parva 1 153.85x
Hagworthingham 1 238.10x
Hemingby 1 294.12x
Holy Trinity St Mary 1 26.46x
Husbands Bosworth 1 140.85x
Laceby 1 114.94x
Mere 1 1111.11x
Moulton 1 51.81x
Ramsgate 1 7.16x
Scopwick 1 294.12x
Skirbeck Quarter 1 136.99x
St John Lincoln 1 232.56x
Usselby 1 2000.00x
Wainfleet All Sts 1 85.47x
West Derby 1 1.15x
Whaplode 1 72.99x
Worksop 1 9.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 11
Annie 9
Sarah 9
Ellen 8
Ann 7
Alice 4
Edith 4
Eliza 4
Fanny 4
Harriet 3
Rebecca 3
Dinah 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Carrie 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Contance 1
Elenor 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizath. 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Gwen 1
Harriett 1
Iley 1
Jessie 1
Joanna 1
Kate 1
Lilliy 1
Lizzie 1
Marie 1
Marth 1
Matilda 1
Miriam 1
Rose 1
Rosetta 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 16
William 15
John 14
Charles 10
James 8
Thomas 6
Edwin 5
Henry 5
Joseph 5
Robert 4
Herbert 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Draper 2
Fredrick 2
Richard 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Bennett 1
Christopher 1
Claude 1
Earnest 1
Edmond 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harry 1
Harwood 1
Hugh 1
Jas.Morriss 1
Johnson 1
Maltly 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Nathan 1
Samuel 1
Valentine 1
Wingate 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Mackinder surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mackinder surname in 1881?

In 1881, 264 people were recorded with the Mackinder surname. That placed it at #10,655 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mackinder surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016. That gives Mackinder a modern rank of #12,978.

What does the Mackinder surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Fhionndair meaning "son of the fair one".

What does the Mackinder map show?

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