NameCensus.

UK surname

Maclean

Son of the lean or thin one, often referring to a clan from the Scottish Highlands.

In the 1881 census there were 3,731 people recorded with the Maclean surname, ranking it #1,226 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,811, ranked #598, up from #1,226 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gairloch, Duirnish and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northwest Lewis, Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree and Barra and South Uist.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maclean is 10,811 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 189.8%.

1881 census count

3,731

Ranked #1,226

Modern count

10,811

2016, ranked #598

Peak year

2016

10,811 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maclean had 3,731 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,226 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,811 in 2016, ranked #598.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,149 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Maclean surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maclean surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maclean 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 3,227 #894
1861 historical 2,817 #1,037
1881 historical 3,731 #1,226
1891 historical 4,062 #1,185
1901 historical 5,149 #1,092
1911 historical 1,137 #4,097
1997 modern 9,587 #654
1998 modern 9,860 #659
1999 modern 9,798 #670
2000 modern 10,056 #644
2001 modern 9,643 #658
2002 modern 9,857 #661
2003 modern 9,757 #652
2004 modern 9,552 #664
2005 modern 9,614 #654
2006 modern 9,664 #649
2007 modern 9,789 #644
2008 modern 9,926 #641
2009 modern 10,072 #646
2010 modern 10,269 #642
2011 modern 10,104 #646
2012 modern 10,324 #621
2013 modern 10,657 #613
2014 modern 10,793 #609
2015 modern 10,742 #605
2016 modern 10,811 #598

Geography

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Where Macleans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gairloch, Duirnish, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Tiree and Coll. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northwest Lewis, Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Barra and South Uist, Benbecula and North Uist and Broadbay. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Gairloch Ross And Cromarty
2 Duirnish Inverness
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Tiree and Coll Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northwest Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree Argyll and Bute
3 Barra and South Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
4 Benbecula and North Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
5 Broadbay Na h-Eileanan Siar

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maclean

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maclean

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

Maclean 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

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

Meaning and origin of Maclean

The surname MACLEAN has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 13th century. It is a Highland Scottish clan name derived from the Gaelic "MacGhillEain," meaning "son of the servant of St. John." The name is closely associated with the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides, where the clan's ancestral lands were located.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where Gillelan MacNaughtan is mentioned as a landowner in Argyll. This document was a record of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the 14th century, the MACLEAN clan played a significant role in the struggle for Scottish independence under the leadership of Lachlan Mor MACLEAN, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce. Lachlan Mor is regarded as the progenitor of the modern MACLEAN clan, and his descendants continued to wield considerable influence in the region for centuries.

The name has undergone various spelling variations over time, including MACLAINE, MACCLEAN, and MACLAIN. These variations are often associated with different branches of the clan or geographical locations.

Notable historical figures with the surname MACLEAN include:

1. Alasdair MACLEAN (1568-1647), a Scottish poet and clan chief known for his contributions to Gaelic literature. 2. Sir John MACLEAN (1759-1840), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. 3. Norman MACLEAN (1902-1990), an American author and scholar best known for his semi-autobiographical novella "A River Runs Through It." 4. Fitzroy MACLEAN (1911-1996), a British diplomat, adventurer, and soldier who played a significant role in World War II. 5. Alistair MACLEAN (1922-1987), a renowned British novelist who wrote popular adventure and war fiction, including "The Guns of Navarone" and "Where Eagles Dare."

The MACLEAN surname has a rich history deeply rooted in Scottish Highland culture and has been carried by numerous influential figures throughout the centuries, from clan chiefs and warriors to poets, authors, and military leaders.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maclean families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maclean 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 943 Macleans recorded in 1881 and an index of 97.71x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 943 97.71x
Ross-shire 749 84.40x
Argyllshire 324 36.01x
Lanarkshire 224 2.14x
Midlothian 131 3.03x
Middlesex 121 0.37x
Lancashire 85 0.22x
Renfrewshire 67 2.68x
Surrey 66 0.42x
Yorkshire 56 0.17x
Kent 36 0.33x
Perthshire 32 2.21x
Caithness 29 6.55x
Morayshire 25 4.98x
Hampshire 23 0.35x
Sussex 22 0.40x
Aberdeenshire 21 0.70x
Angus 19 0.63x
Cornwall 19 0.52x
Sutherland 16 6.44x
Cheshire 15 0.21x
Buteshire 13 6.64x
Derbyshire 12 0.24x
Dunbartonshire 12 1.38x
East Lothian 12 2.80x
Lincolnshire 11 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.25x
Staffordshire 11 0.10x
Wiltshire 11 0.38x
Ayrshire 10 0.41x
Gloucestershire 10 0.16x
Wigtownshire 10 2.33x
Berkshire 9 0.37x
Fife 9 0.47x
Roxburghshire 9 1.54x
Cardiganshire 8 1.01x
Devon 8 0.12x
Dumfriesshire 8 1.12x
Leicestershire 8 0.22x
Peeblesshire 8 5.26x
Warwickshire 8 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 7 0.51x
Durham 7 0.07x
Berwickshire 6 1.53x
Dorset 6 0.28x
Nairnshire 6 6.08x
Oxfordshire 6 0.30x
Somerset 6 0.12x
Norfolk 5 0.10x
Banffshire 4 0.60x
Channel Islands 4 0.42x
Glamorgan 4 0.07x
Royal Navy 4 1.04x
Shetland 4 1.21x
Hertfordshire 3 0.13x
Northamptonshire 3 0.10x
West Lothian 3 0.62x
Essex 2 0.03x
Northumberland 2 0.04x
Stirlingshire 2 0.17x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.05x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.05x
Cumberland 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.08x
Herefordshire 1 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.21x
Shropshire 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lochbroom in Ross-shire leads with 210 Macleans recorded in 1881 and an index of 453.27x.

Place Total Index
Lochbroom 210 453.27x
North Uist 164 435.36x
Inverness 162 66.73x
Gairloch 138 269.79x
Tyree 132 431.23x
Govan 112 4.33x
Uig 87 216.26x
South Uist 85 126.23x
Kilninian Kilmore 65 235.68x
Stornoway 64 55.33x
Trumisgarry 64 656.41x
Duirinish 62 126.02x
Harris 61 125.75x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 60 3.44x
Barony 49 1.85x
Portree 48 134.42x
Kilfinichen 41 184.19x
Kilmuir 41 144.47x
Barra 39 161.89x
West Greenock 36 8.01x
Rosskeen 34 81.40x
Kensington London 31 1.73x
Lochs 31 43.87x
Kirkhill 30 183.15x
Urquhart Glenmoriston 28 102.60x
Bernera 27 536.78x
Kilmallie 26 56.19x
Kilmorack 26 88.86x
Kiltarlity 26 109.84x
Glasgow 25 1.35x
Lochcarron 24 148.79x
St Pancras London 23 0.88x
Toxteth Park 21 1.62x
Sleat 20 87.07x
Fodderty 17 75.72x
Applecross 16 64.13x
Barvas 16 27.00x
Bothwell 16 5.64x
Logie Wester 16 100.38x
Petty 16 94.45x
Ardnamurchan 15 32.87x
Lambeth 15 0.53x
Urray 15 54.43x
Kilmore Kilbride 14 24.51x
Lochalsh 14 61.38x
Olrig 14 63.35x
Camberwell 13 0.63x
Logie 13 24.98x
Cathcart 12 8.86x
Elgin 12 12.29x
Paddington London 12 1.01x
Snizort 12 49.85x
Dingwall 11 44.05x
Islington London 11 0.35x
Knockbain 11 52.99x
Nottingham St Nicholas 11 18.54x
Rothesay 11 11.60x
Crichton 10 82.85x
Epsom 10 13.03x
Manchester 10 0.58x
South Leith 10 2.05x
Bowmore 9 43.46x
Everton 9 0.74x
Rosemarkie 9 92.78x
Rutherglen 9 5.87x
Scampston 9 337.08x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 0.78x
Tarves 9 31.79x
Thurso 9 13.04x
Bracadale 8 76.34x
Clapham 8 1.98x
Cromarty 8 33.68x
Llangoedmore 8 81.72x
Tain 8 23.80x
West Derby 8 0.71x
Blackburn 7 0.69x
Eddleston 7 88.61x
Llangunnor 7 57.85x
New Windsor 7 8.58x
Newington 7 0.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 40
William 25
James 20
Charles 18
Robert 11
Thomas 10
Henry 9
Hector 8
Alexander 7
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Allan 5
Arthur 5
David 4
Donald 4
George 4
Archibald 3
Douglas 3
Fitzroy 3
Kenneth 3
Lachlan 3
Norman 3
W. 3
Alex 2
Andrew 2
Campbell 2
Daniel 2
Francis 2
Frederick 2
Hugh 2
J. 2
Michael 2
Murdock 2
Richard 2
Roderick 2
Alike 1
Benjamin 1
C.M. 1
Cameron 1
Duncan 1
Ebenezer 1
Ed. 1
Edward 1
Erskine 1
F.J. 1
Hippisley 1
Infant 1
Jas. 1
Lauchlan 1
Williams 1

FAQ

Maclean surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maclean surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,731 people were recorded with the Maclean surname. That placed it at #1,226 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maclean surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,811 in 2016. That gives Maclean a modern rank of #598.

What does the Maclean surname mean?

Son of the lean or thin one, often referring to a clan from the Scottish Highlands.

What does the Maclean map show?

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