NameCensus.

UK surname

Macnaughton

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Neachdainn, meaning "son of the pure, bright one".

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Macnaughton surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 590, ranked #8,842, up from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Kilmallie and Ardgour and Arisaig and Moidart. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochaber West, Cheviot East and Inverness Lochardil and Holm Mains.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macnaughton is 600 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 239.1%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

590

2016, ranked #8,842

Peak year

2010

600 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macnaughton had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 590 in 2016, ranked #8,842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 382 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Macnaughton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macnaughton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macnaughton 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 382 #9,775
1911 historical 86 #24,243
1997 modern 520 #9,043
1998 modern 542 #9,028
1999 modern 548 #9,012
2000 modern 575 #8,648
2001 modern 554 #8,762
2002 modern 584 #8,598
2003 modern 550 #8,843
2004 modern 553 #8,823
2005 modern 566 #8,621
2006 modern 548 #8,844
2007 modern 556 #8,828
2008 modern 559 #8,844
2009 modern 565 #8,980
2010 modern 600 #8,787
2011 modern 599 #8,708
2012 modern 596 #8,658
2013 modern 590 #8,848
2014 modern 585 #8,966
2015 modern 586 #8,884
2016 modern 590 #8,842

Geography

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Where Macnaughtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Kilmallie and Ardgour, Arisaig and Moidart, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochaber West, Cheviot East, Inverness Lochardil and Holm Mains, IZ01 and Coupar Angus and Meigle. 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 Arisaig and Moidart Inverness
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochaber West Highland
2 Cheviot East Scottish Borders
3 Inverness Lochardil and Holm Mains Highland
4 IZ01 East Lothian
5 Coupar Angus and Meigle Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macnaughton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macnaughton

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Macnaughton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Macnaughton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Macnaughton is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macnaughton 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

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

Meaning and origin of Macnaughton

The surname MACNAUGHTON originated in Scotland during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Nauchtan", which is believed to have been a personal name or a nickname. The name has also been spelled as MacNaughton, McNaughton, and McNauchton over the centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of scrolls that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Gillecrist Macnachtan" in these rolls.

The MACNAUGHTON clan was historically based in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire in western Scotland. They were closely associated with the powerful Campbell clan and served as allies and supporters. Several place names in these areas, such as Strathnaughton and Loch Naughton, are believed to have derived from the MACNAUGHTON surname.

In the 14th century, Sir John MACNAUGHTON was granted lands in the Isle of Lewis by the Lord of the Isles. He is considered one of the earliest notable figures of the clan. Another prominent member was Alexander MACNAUGHTON, who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

During the 16th century, the MACNAUGHTON clan played a significant role in the Battle of Glenlivet in 1594, supporting King James VI against the Catholic earls. Notably, John MACNAUGHTON (c. 1550-1630) was a renowned Protestant minister and writer who served as the minister of Calton in Glasgow.

In the 17th century, John MACNAUGHTON (1637-1701) was a renowned church leader and served as the Bishop of Dunkeld from 1677 until his death. Another notable figure was Sir William MACNAUGHTON (1685-1744), who was a Scottish politician and Member of Parliament.

As the MACNAUGHTON clan expanded, members of the family migrated to various parts of the world, including North America, where they contributed to the cultural and historical fabric of their new communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macnaughton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macnaughton 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 18 Macnaughtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.76x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 18 10.76x
Angus 17 14.70x
Perthshire 17 30.34x
Lanarkshire 12 2.97x
Renfrewshire 10 10.33x
Nairnshire 9 236.22x
Lancashire 8 0.54x
Inverness-shire 7 18.77x
Oxfordshire 7 9.08x
Argyllshire 6 17.26x
Ayrshire 4 4.28x
Stirlingshire 4 8.69x
Middlesex 3 0.24x
Surrey 2 0.33x
Cheshire 1 0.36x
Hampshire 1 0.39x
Kent 1 0.23x
Sussex 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 12 Macnaughtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.83x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 17.83x
West Greenock 10 57.57x
Cawdor 9 1956.52x
Liff Benvie 8 45.56x
Barony 7 6.85x
Everton 7 14.82x
Neithrop 7 270.27x
Blair Athole 6 800.00x
Govan 5 5.01x
Perth West Church 5 187.97x
Edinburgh St Stephens 4 121.58x
St Vigeans 4 64.10x
Callander 3 326.09x
Falkirk 3 27.83x
Kilmallie 3 167.60x
Kilmarnock 3 26.98x
Kinclaven 3 1200.00x
Clapham 2 12.81x
Coupar Angus 2 183.49x
Dores 2 400.00x
Dundee 2 4.63x
Inverness 2 21.32x
Ardchattan Muckairn 1 116.28x
Brighton 1 2.35x
Buchanan 1 416.67x
Dover St James 1 53.48x
Duirinish 1 52.63x
Eassie Nevay 1 416.67x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 25.25x
Eling 1 38.61x
Glenorchy Inishail 1 250.00x
Kilfinan 1 107.53x
Liverpool 1 1.11x
North Leith 1 12.92x
Paddington London 1 2.18x
Petty 1 153.85x
Portree 1 72.46x
Riccarton Hurlford 1 60.98x
Sale 1 29.59x
St George Hanover 1 6.14x
Westminster St 1 21.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Florence 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Malcolm 2
Robert 2
William 2
A. 1
Alexander 1
J. 1
John 1
Wm. 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 Macnaughton households.

FAQ

Macnaughton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macnaughton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Macnaughton surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macnaughton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 590 in 2016. That gives Macnaughton a modern rank of #8,842.

What does the Macnaughton surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Neachdainn, meaning "son of the pure, bright one".

What does the Macnaughton map show?

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