NameCensus.

UK surname

Mackintosh

A Scottish surname meaning "son of the chief" or "head of the clan".

In the 1881 census there were 2,085 people recorded with the Mackintosh surname, ranking it #2,120 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,848, ranked #1,760, up from #2,120 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Daviot and Dunlichty, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Inverness East Rural, Loch Ness and Badenoch and Strathspey South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mackintosh is 3,848 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 84.6%.

1881 census count

2,085

Ranked #2,120

Modern count

3,848

2016, ranked #1,760

Peak year

2016

3,848 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mackintosh had 2,085 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,120 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,848 in 2016, ranked #1,760.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,022 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mackintosh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mackintosh surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mackintosh 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 1,109 #2,539
1861 historical 1,377 #2,078
1881 historical 2,085 #2,120
1891 historical 2,611 #1,825
1901 historical 3,022 #1,854
1911 historical 1,167 #4,003
1997 modern 3,405 #1,901
1998 modern 3,569 #1,891
1999 modern 3,622 #1,875
2000 modern 3,671 #1,837
2001 modern 3,558 #1,861
2002 modern 3,657 #1,851
2003 modern 3,547 #1,861
2004 modern 3,551 #1,860
2005 modern 3,599 #1,813
2006 modern 3,594 #1,818
2007 modern 3,672 #1,793
2008 modern 3,675 #1,799
2009 modern 3,725 #1,822
2010 modern 3,781 #1,843
2011 modern 3,714 #1,850
2012 modern 3,716 #1,809
2013 modern 3,771 #1,819
2014 modern 3,830 #1,798
2015 modern 3,818 #1,779
2016 modern 3,848 #1,760

Geography

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Where Mackintoshs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Daviot and Dunlichty, London parishes, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Croy and Dalcross. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Inverness East Rural, Loch Ness, Badenoch and Strathspey South, Nairn Rural and Nairn East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Daviot and Dunlichty Inverness
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Croy and Dalcross Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Inverness East Rural Highland
2 Loch Ness Highland
3 Badenoch and Strathspey South Highland
4 Nairn Rural Highland
5 Nairn East Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mackintosh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mackintosh

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

Mackintosh 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

Mackintosh 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mackintosh 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 Mackintosh, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mackintosh

The surname Mackintosh has its origins in Scotland, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac an toisich," meaning "son of the chief" or "son of the leader." This suggests that the name originally belonged to the offspring of a Highland clan chieftain or prominent leader.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Several individuals with the surname Mackintosh, or variations such as Mackintoschee, are listed in these rolls, indicating their presence in Scotland during that period.

In the 14th century, the Mackintosh clan played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England. One notable figure was Lachlan Mackintosh, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce and was rewarded with lands in Inverness-shire for his loyalty. The clan's stronghold was established at Moy Hall, near the town of Moy, and they became an influential force in the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Mackintosh clan was involved in numerous conflicts with neighboring clans, such as the Clan Cameron and Clan Munro, over territorial disputes and allegiances. In 1624, Sir Lachlan Mackintosh, also known as "Lachlan Mor," led his clan in support of King Charles I against the Covenanters during the Scottish Civil War.

One of the most famous individuals bearing the Mackintosh surname was Sir James Mackintosh (1765-1832), a Scottish jurist, philosopher, and writer. He is best known for his work "Vindiciae Gallicae," a defense of the French Revolution, and his contributions to the field of jurisprudence.

Another notable figure was Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1928), a Scottish architect, designer, and watercolorist. He was a prominent figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and is celebrated for his iconic designs, including the Glasgow School of Art and the Hill House in Helensburgh.

In the literary world, Charles Mackintosh (1766-1843) was a Scottish novelist and essayist, known for his work "The Antiquary" and his contributions to the Edinburgh Review.

The Mackintosh surname has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Mackintosh, a village in the Scottish Highlands, and Mackintosh Island, located in the Outer Hebrides.

Throughout its history, the Mackintosh name has been spelled in various ways, including Mackintoschee, MacKyntoscht, and Mackintosshe, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mackintosh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mackintosh 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. Inverness-shire leads with 658 Mackintoshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 112.71x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 658 112.71x
Middlesex 159 0.81x
Yorkshire 111 0.57x
Midlothian 110 4.20x
Nairnshire 108 181.00x
Lancashire 107 0.46x
Lanarkshire 84 1.33x
Ross-shire 61 11.36x
Surrey 60 0.63x
Morayshire 53 17.45x
Nottinghamshire 45 1.71x
Aberdeenshire 38 2.10x
Durham 30 0.52x
Sutherland 27 17.96x
Northumberland 25 0.86x
Cheshire 21 0.49x
Angus 19 1.05x
Kent 19 0.28x
Perthshire 16 1.82x
Renfrewshire 16 1.06x
Caithness 14 5.23x
Channel Islands 13 2.24x
Fife 13 1.12x
Dunbartonshire 12 2.28x
Flintshire 11 2.09x
Cumberland 10 0.59x
Derbyshire 10 0.33x
Lincolnshire 10 0.32x
Monmouthshire 10 0.71x
Warwickshire 10 0.20x
Glamorgan 8 0.24x
Hampshire 8 0.20x
Sussex 8 0.24x
Banffshire 7 1.73x
Buteshire 7 5.91x
Gloucestershire 7 0.18x
Kincardineshire 7 2.94x
Radnorshire 7 4.44x
Suffolk 6 0.25x
Devon 5 0.12x
Clackmannanshire 4 2.48x
Essex 4 0.10x
Staffordshire 4 0.06x
Stirlingshire 4 0.55x
West Lothian 4 1.36x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.25x
Cornwall 3 0.14x
Selkirkshire 3 1.70x
Westmorland 3 0.70x
Argyllshire 2 0.37x
Ayrshire 2 0.14x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.46x
Hertfordshire 2 0.15x
Norfolk 2 0.07x
Roxburghshire 2 0.56x
Royal Navy 2 0.86x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.08x
East Lothian 1 0.39x
Herefordshire 1 0.12x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.22x
Northamptonshire 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.08x
Rutland 1 0.70x
Worcestershire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Inverness in Inverness-shire leads with 362 Mackintoshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 246.53x.

Place Total Index
Inverness 362 246.53x
Daviot Dunlichity 93 1107.14x
Nairn 62 171.22x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 53 5.03x
Moy Dalarossie 33 601.09x
Petty 33 322.27x
Govan 32 2.05x
Barony 31 1.94x
Kilmonivaig 31 239.20x
Urquhart Glenmoriston 31 187.77x
Cawdor 23 316.80x
Dores 20 256.41x
Islington London 20 1.06x
Ardersier 19 135.71x
Hornsey 18 7.28x
St Pancras London 18 1.14x
Elgin 16 27.08x
Snenton 16 15.45x
Hunslet 15 4.97x
Kensington London 15 1.38x
Nottingham St Mary 14 2.05x
Toxteth Park 14 1.78x
West Derby 14 2.06x
Farr 13 100.31x
Fodderty 13 95.73x
Harworth 13 353.26x
Kiltarlity 13 90.78x
Ardclach 12 160.43x
Bethnal Green London 12 1.41x
Camberwell 12 0.96x
Aberdeen Old Machar 11 2.91x
Auldearn 11 126.15x
Cromdale 11 45.01x
Kiltearn 11 139.06x
Lambeth 11 0.65x
Liverpool 11 0.78x
Liversedge 11 12.76x
Peterhead 11 11.49x
Burnley 10 5.12x
Morley 10 9.93x
Alves 9 119.36x
Cathcart 9 10.98x
Chipstead 9 208.82x
Edinburgh St Georges 9 16.56x
Edinburgh St Marys 9 17.68x
Kirkintilloch 9 12.61x
Newington 9 1.25x
Tranmere 9 5.68x
Alvie 8 168.78x
Creich 8 53.40x
Halifax 8 2.81x
Levenshulme 8 33.50x
Paddington London 8 1.11x
Pelton 8 28.91x
St Clement 8 90.81x
Tain 8 39.33x
Walton On Hill 8 6.37x
Deskford 7 120.69x
Doncaster 7 4.95x
Forfar 7 7.14x
Fulham London 7 2.47x
Llandegley 7 261.19x
Olrig 7 52.36x
Pownall Fee 7 36.25x
St Marylebone London 7 0.67x
Wavertree 7 9.43x
Acton 6 5.24x
Anstruther Easter 6 71.86x
Aston 6 0.44x
Crayford 6 20.60x
Dornoch 6 35.42x
Edinburgh Canongate 6 9.00x
Edinburgh St Stephens 6 11.64x
Forres 6 18.79x
Fraserburgh 6 11.77x
Gateshead 6 1.38x
Hamilton 6 3.40x
Hawarden 6 14.53x
Heeley 6 10.19x
Manchester 6 0.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 48
James 35
William 30
Thomas 21
George 16
Charles 15
Alexander 14
Joseph 9
Henry 8
Robert 8
Daniel 7
Donald 7
Edward 7
Hugh 7
Albert 4
Archibald 4
Arthur 4
David 4
Harry 4
Samuel 4
Alfred 3
Angus 3
Frederick 3
Peter 3
Willm. 3
Allan 2
Colin 2
Duncan 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Jas. 2
Patrick 2
Richard 2
Tom 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Ancas 1
Aurther 1
Benjamin 1
Bruce 1
Ebenezer 1
Eneas 1
Evan 1
Felix 1
Frances 1
Hector 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Xneas 1

FAQ

Mackintosh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mackintosh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,085 people were recorded with the Mackintosh surname. That placed it at #2,120 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mackintosh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,848 in 2016. That gives Mackintosh a modern rank of #1,760.

What does the Mackintosh surname mean?

A Scottish surname meaning "son of the chief" or "head of the clan".

What does the Mackintosh map show?

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