NameCensus.

UK surname

Macmillan

Son of the bald or tonsured man, or devotee of Saint Maoláin.

In the 1881 census there were 971 people recorded with the Macmillan surname, ranking it #4,005 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,360, ranked #1,255, up from #4,005 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Kilmallie and Ardgour and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barra and South Uist, Point and Lochaber West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macmillan is 5,360 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 452.0%.

1881 census count

971

Ranked #4,005

Modern count

5,360

2016, ranked #1,255

Peak year

2016

5,360 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macmillan had 971 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,005 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,360 in 2016, ranked #1,255.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,740 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macmillan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macmillan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macmillan 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 651 #3,995
1861 historical 720 #3,780
1881 historical 971 #4,005
1891 historical 1,176 #3,640
1901 historical 1,740 #2,980
1911 historical 508 #7,747
1997 modern 4,765 #1,376
1998 modern 4,961 #1,376
1999 modern 4,970 #1,382
2000 modern 4,980 #1,369
2001 modern 4,844 #1,378
2002 modern 4,993 #1,359
2003 modern 4,919 #1,343
2004 modern 4,871 #1,353
2005 modern 4,904 #1,325
2006 modern 4,896 #1,336
2007 modern 4,928 #1,339
2008 modern 4,996 #1,332
2009 modern 5,095 #1,338
2010 modern 5,178 #1,344
2011 modern 5,123 #1,338
2012 modern 5,100 #1,313
2013 modern 5,240 #1,304
2014 modern 5,330 #1,291
2015 modern 5,307 #1,279
2016 modern 5,360 #1,255

Geography

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Where Macmillans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Kilmallie and Ardgour, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and South Uist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barra and South Uist, Point, Lochaber West, Oban South and Fort William South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Kilmallie and Ardgour Inverness
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 South Uist Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barra and South Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Point Na h-Eileanan Siar
3 Lochaber West Highland
4 Oban South Argyll and Bute
5 Fort William South Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macmillan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macmillan

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

Macmillan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Macmillan

The surname MACMILLAN originated from Scotland, where it first appeared in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Maolmhuaidh" or "Maolmhuire," which are personal names meaning "disciple of St. Moloch" or "disciple of the Virgin Mary." The name likely referred to an early bearer who was a devotee of one of these saints.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as MacMolochi, MacMolondh, and MacMolundi in various medieval Scottish records and charters. The Clan MacMillan, one of the oldest clans in Argyll, traced their descent from a 13th-century chief named Somhairle, whose son was known as Gillespie MacSomhairle or Gillespie MacMillan.

The MACMILLAN name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland as early as 1296, when Dougal MacMolodych is mentioned. In 1532, Duncan MacMolcalum of Knap is recorded as a witness to a charter granted by Archibald, Earl of Argyll.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name is Sir Alexander Macmillan, a 15th-century knight who fought alongside William Wallace during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Another notable figure is James Macmillan (1736-1809), a Scottish minister and writer who published several works on religious and philosophical topics.

In the literary world, Daniel Macmillan (1813-1857) was a Scottish publisher who founded the publishing house Macmillan Publishers in 1843. His nephew, Maurice Macmillan (1853-1936), later joined the company and became its chairman.

Other notable individuals with the MACMILLAN surname include British statesman Harold Macmillan (1894-1986), who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963, and Scottish composer Sir James Macmillan (born 1959), best known for his choral and orchestral works.

The MACMILLAN name has been well-established in Scotland for centuries and has spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. It remains a prominent surname with a rich historical background rooted in the Scottish Highlands and the Clan MacMillan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macmillan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macmillan 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 297 Macmillans recorded in 1881 and an index of 122.69x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 297 122.69x
Lanarkshire 90 3.43x
Midlothian 72 6.63x
Ross-shire 61 27.40x
Argyllshire 39 17.28x
Renfrewshire 39 6.21x
Yorkshire 27 0.34x
Middlesex 26 0.32x
Somerset 22 1.69x
Lancashire 19 0.20x
Ayrshire 15 2.47x
Surrey 12 0.30x
Aberdeenshire 11 1.47x
Perthshire 11 3.02x
Dunbartonshire 10 4.59x
West Lothian 9 7.37x
Stirlingshire 6 2.01x
Angus 5 0.67x
Buteshire 5 10.18x
Northumberland 5 0.41x
Worcestershire 5 0.47x
Glamorgan 4 0.28x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 3.41x
Morayshire 4 3.18x
Fife 3 0.63x
Lincolnshire 3 0.23x
Staffordshire 3 0.11x
Flintshire 2 0.92x
Nairnshire 2 8.08x
Roxburghshire 2 1.36x
Selkirkshire 2 2.73x
Anglesey 1 0.70x
Banffshire 1 0.59x
Caithness 1 0.90x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.29x
Cheshire 1 0.06x
Cornwall 1 0.11x
Cumberland 1 0.14x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.56x
Durham 1 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Hampshire 1 0.06x
Hertfordshire 1 0.18x
Kent 1 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Shropshire 1 0.14x
Warwickshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Uist in Inverness-shire leads with 151 Macmillans recorded in 1881 and an index of 894.02x.

Place Total Index
South Uist 151 894.02x
Urquhart Glenmoriston 56 817.52x
Govan 41 6.32x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 36 8.24x
Stornoway 25 86.15x
Barony 24 3.62x
Glasgow 21 4.51x
Inverness 21 34.49x
West Greenock 20 17.74x
Harris 19 156.12x
South Leith 17 13.91x
Ardnamurchan 14 122.27x
Castle Cary 11 193.32x
Tyree 11 143.23x
Clerkenwell London 9 4.70x
Lochs 9 50.79x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 5.10x
Barra 8 132.45x
Dingwall 8 127.80x
Kintail 8 416.67x
Duddingston 7 32.11x
Gisburn 7 476.19x
Inverkip 7 47.27x
Kilmallie 7 60.29x
Streatham 7 11.64x
Bathwick 6 41.55x
Bernera 6 476.19x
Cardross 6 22.94x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 6 23.36x
Girvan 6 39.40x
Glenshiel 6 508.47x
Sleat 6 104.17x
Beith 5 27.62x
Camberwell 5 0.97x
Horton In Bradford 5 3.99x
Kilbride 5 82.64x
Kings Norton 5 5.27x
Portree 5 55.80x
Whitburn 5 28.34x
Barrow In Furness 4 3.06x
Boness 4 23.77x
Dores 4 123.84x
Fodderty 4 71.05x
Kilmuir 4 56.18x
Layton With Warbreck 4 11.33x
Lochwinnoch 4 42.74x
Rothes 4 65.15x
Strath 4 54.35x
Ystradyfodwg 4 3.23x
Cathcart 3 8.83x
Drymen 3 74.81x
Duirinish 3 24.31x
Dumbarton 3 9.89x
East Greenock 3 5.06x
East Newton 3 2307.69x
Edinburgh St Georges 3 13.31x
Holy Trinity 3 1.55x
Huddersfield 3 2.56x
Islington London 3 0.38x
Kells 3 111.52x
Kensington London 3 0.67x
Killean Kilchenzie 3 78.33x
Liff Benvie 3 2.63x
Moss Side 3 5.93x
Moulin 3 52.17x
South Petherton 3 44.51x
St Marylebone London 3 0.69x
Dundee 2 0.71x
Edinburgh St Marys 2 9.47x
Hornsey 2 1.95x
Jedburgh 2 13.90x
Jesmond 2 11.79x
Kippen 2 49.75x
Kirkhope 2 131.58x
Llanasa 2 26.46x
Maryhill 2 3.90x
North Uist 2 21.16x
Paisley Low Church 2 10.06x
Walton On Hill 2 3.84x
Wednesbury 2 2.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 7
Henry 4
Robert 4
Albert 3
Ernest 3
Daniel 2
George 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Thomas 2
Wm. 2
Alex 1
Alexa 1
Alexander 1
Angus 1
Archibald 1
Colin 1
Danl. 1
David 1
Donald 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
James 1
Lachlan 1
M. 1
Maurice 1
P. 1

FAQ

Macmillan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macmillan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 971 people were recorded with the Macmillan surname. That placed it at #4,005 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macmillan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,360 in 2016. That gives Macmillan a modern rank of #1,255.

What does the Macmillan surname mean?

Son of the bald or tonsured man, or devotee of Saint Maoláin.

What does the Macmillan map show?

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