NameCensus.

UK surname

Maclagan

A Scottish surname referring to someone from the lands of Lagan.

In the 1881 census there were 91 people recorded with the Maclagan surname, ranking it #20,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 120, ranked #27,563, down from #20,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Carlisle St Cuthbert, London parishes and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle, Mid Devon and Morningside and Craighouse.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maclagan is 146 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.9%.

1881 census count

91

Ranked #20,843

Modern count

120

2016, ranked #27,563

Peak year

1998

146 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maclagan had 91 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016, ranked #27,563.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 138 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Maclagan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maclagan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maclagan 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 15 #30,614
1861 historical 63 #25,901
1881 historical 91 #20,843
1891 historical 109 #22,701
1901 historical 138 #18,955
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 132 #22,821
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 143 #22,521
2000 modern 129 #23,901
2001 modern 130 #23,457
2002 modern 136 #23,296
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 124 #25,086
2008 modern 131 #24,583
2009 modern 129 #25,314
2010 modern 125 #26,448
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 126 #26,148
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 126 #26,654
2016 modern 120 #27,563

Geography

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Where Maclagans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Carlisle St Cuthbert, London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Aberdalgie. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carlisle, Mid Devon and Morningside and Craighouse. 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 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
2 London parishes London 1
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Aberdalgie Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 010 Carlisle
2 Carlisle 006 Carlisle
3 Carlisle 013 Carlisle
4 Mid Devon 003 Mid Devon
5 Morningside and Craighouse City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maclagan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maclagan

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Maclagan is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Maclagan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Maclagan

The surname MACLAGAN originated in Scotland and is believed to date back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Lagan" which may have been a personal name or a place name referring to a hollow or glen.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in Scottish charters and documents from the 13th century, with various spellings such as MacLagan, MacLagane, and MacLagyn. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John MacLagan, who was mentioned in a charter from the reign of King Alexander III (1241-1286).

The MACLAGAN surname is closely associated with the Scottish region of Perthshire, where the clan is believed to have originated and held lands. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name appeared in various records and documents related to this area, including legal proceedings and land grants.

A notable early figure was Alexander MacLagan, who was born around 1590 and served as the Minister of Auchtergaven in Perthshire during the mid-17th century. Another prominent MACLAGAN was James MacLagan (1728-1805), a Scottish philosopher and writer who published works on ethics and natural theology.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname spread to other parts of Scotland and beyond as families migrated and settled in different regions. One distinguished bearer of the name was Andrew Douglas Maclagan (1812-1900), a Scottish physician and medical writer who served as the President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Other notable individuals with the MACLAGAN surname include Sir Eric Robert Dalrymple Maclagan (1879-1951), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Punjab and the Central Provinces in British India, and William Dalrymple Maclagan (1835-1906), a Scottish religious leader and writer who served as the Archbishop of York from 1891 until his death.

The MACLAGAN surname has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, writers, physicians, and civil servants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maclagan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maclagan 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. Midlothian leads with 24 Maclagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.68x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 24 22.68x
Perthshire 20 56.42x
Angus 10 13.66x
Lanarkshire 7 2.74x
Lancashire 4 0.43x
Staffordshire 4 1.50x
Surrey 3 0.78x
Somerset 2 1.57x
Derbyshire 1 0.81x
Gloucestershire 1 0.65x
Hertfordshire 1 1.84x
Kent 1 0.37x
Middlesex 1 0.13x
Renfrewshire 1 1.63x
Sussex 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdalgie in Perthshire leads with 10 Maclagans recorded in 1881 and an index of 12500.00x.

Place Total Index
Aberdalgie 10 12500.00x
Perth East Church 10 299.40x
South Leith 10 83.96x
Coupar Angus 9 1304.35x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 14.09x
Edinburgh St Stephens 5 240.38x
Barony 4 6.19x
Lichfield Close 4 6666.67x
Widnes 4 59.17x
Edinburgh St Georges 3 136.36x
Govan 3 4.75x
Newington 2 6.85x
Seavington St Michael 2 3333.33x
Abbey 1 10.71x
Aberlemno 1 370.37x
Billingshurst 1 227.27x
Bishops Cleeve 1 256.41x
Gillingham 1 17.99x
Great Amwell 1 181.82x
Hampstead London 1 8.13x
Hartington Town Quarter 1 833.33x
Richmond 1 18.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 1
Hon 1
Mary 1
Theodora 1
Thomas 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Philip 2
William 2
Cyril 1
Eric 1
Frank 1
Jas. 1
Paul 1
Robert 1
Thomas 1
Walter 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 Maclagan households.

FAQ

Maclagan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maclagan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 91 people were recorded with the Maclagan surname. That placed it at #20,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maclagan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 120 in 2016. That gives Maclagan a modern rank of #27,563.

What does the Maclagan surname mean?

A Scottish surname referring to someone from the lands of Lagan.

What does the Maclagan map show?

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