NameCensus.

UK surname

Macphail

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacFail" meaning son of Paul.

In the 1881 census there were 356 people recorded with the Macphail surname, ranking it #8,665 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,289, ranked #4,647, up from #8,665 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barvas and Carloway, Ardchattan and Muckairn and Kilfinichen and Iona. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Northwest Lewis and Broadbay.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macphail is 1,289 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 262.1%.

1881 census count

356

Ranked #8,665

Modern count

1,289

2016, ranked #4,647

Peak year

2016

1,289 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macphail had 356 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,665 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,289 in 2016, ranked #4,647.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 684 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macphail surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macphail surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macphail 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 271 #8,257
1861 historical 327 #7,788
1881 historical 356 #8,665
1891 historical 496 #7,478
1901 historical 684 #6,394
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 1,116 #5,005
1998 modern 1,165 #5,007
1999 modern 1,160 #5,067
2000 modern 1,202 #4,898
2001 modern 1,151 #4,984
2002 modern 1,194 #4,925
2003 modern 1,204 #4,798
2004 modern 1,152 #4,994
2005 modern 1,126 #5,039
2006 modern 1,145 #4,950
2007 modern 1,136 #5,043
2008 modern 1,145 #5,039
2009 modern 1,179 #5,012
2010 modern 1,187 #5,094
2011 modern 1,167 #5,106
2012 modern 1,177 #4,988
2013 modern 1,217 #4,930
2014 modern 1,274 #4,764
2015 modern 1,283 #4,687
2016 modern 1,289 #4,647

Geography

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Where Macphails are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barvas and Carloway, Ardchattan and Muckairn, Kilfinichen and Iona, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Northwest Lewis, Broadbay, Lochaber West and Stornoway West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Barvas and Carloway Ross And Cromarty
2 Ardchattan and Muckairn Argyll
3 Kilfinichen and Iona Argyll
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree Argyll and Bute
2 Northwest Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar
3 Broadbay Na h-Eileanan Siar
4 Lochaber West Highland
5 Stornoway West Na h-Eileanan Siar

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macphail

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macphail

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Macphail is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macphail 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

Macphail falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macphail is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Macphail, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Macphail

The surname MACPHAIL is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son' and 'Phail', a personal name derived from the word 'fáil' meaning 'ruler' or 'prince'. This suggests that the name was initially borne by the son of a ruler or chieftain.

The earliest recorded instances of the name MACPHAIL can be traced back to the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Isles. It is believed that the name was initially associated with a prominent family or clan in these areas.

In the 14th century, the name MACPHAIL appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were official records of the Scottish royal court. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname held positions of importance during that period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the MACPHAIL surname was John MACPHAIL, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the late 15th century and served as the Bishop of Ross from 1487 to 1501.

In the 16th century, the name MACPHAIL was found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of manuscripts containing the names of Scottish noblemen who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

A notable figure bearing the MACPHAIL surname was Sir John MACPHAIL (c. 1565 - 1624), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as the Provost of Edinburgh from 1618 to 1622.

Another important figure was Sir Aeneas MACPHAIL (c. 1580 - 1649), a Scottish judge and historian who served as the Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1636 to 1641.

In the 17th century, the MACPHAIL surname was associated with the Clan MacPhail, a Scottish clan with roots in the Hebrides islands, particularly on the Isle of Mull.

One of the most renowned individuals with the MACPHAIL surname was James MACPHAIL (1675 - 1754), a Scottish poet and playwright who was widely acclaimed for his works in the Scots language.

Throughout its history, the MACPHAIL surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Macphail Farm in Argyll and Bute, and Macphail's Burn, a stream located in the Scottish Borders region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Macphail families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macphail 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 69 Macphails recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.03x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 69 80.03x
Argyllshire 61 75.90x
Ross-shire 52 65.58x
Lanarkshire 30 3.21x
Midlothian 24 6.21x
Renfrewshire 21 9.39x
Ayrshire 11 5.09x
Berkshire 6 2.77x
Nairnshire 4 45.40x
Yorkshire 4 0.14x
Buteshire 3 17.15x
Fife 2 1.17x
Morayshire 2 4.46x
Surrey 2 0.14x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.82x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.29x
Middlesex 1 0.03x
Perthshire 1 0.77x
Stirlingshire 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Uist in Inverness-shire leads with 30 Macphails recorded in 1881 and an index of 890.21x.

Place Total Index
North Uist 30 890.21x
Kilmore Kilbride 21 411.76x
Stornoway 19 183.93x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 17 10.92x
Govan 17 7.36x
Inverness 16 73.77x
Tyree 13 476.19x
Kilfinichen 11 552.76x
Barony 9 3.81x
Fodderty 9 447.76x
Kilmallie 9 217.92x
Daviot Dunlichity 7 564.52x
East Greenock 7 33.13x
Balking 6 3529.41x
Cathcart 6 49.55x
Cromarty 6 283.02x
Kilmonivaig 6 314.14x
Kirkmichael 6 304.57x
Ardrossan 5 66.84x
Trumisgarry 5 574.71x
West Greenock 5 12.45x
Edinburgh Old 4 170.21x
Knottingley 4 79.52x
Lochs 4 63.39x
Alness 3 294.12x
Applecross 3 134.53x
Ardclach 3 272.73x
Bute North 3 254.24x
Dalziel 3 29.85x
Dunoon Kilmun 3 47.85x
Logie Wester 3 211.27x
Neilston 3 26.71x
Ardersier 2 96.62x
Cupar 2 26.92x
Kilninian Kilmore 2 81.30x
Lambeth 2 0.79x
Rosskeen 2 53.62x
Boisdale 1 10000.00x
Boleskine Abertarff 1 69.93x
Buchanan 1 185.19x
Campbeltown 1 10.31x
Carmarthen St Peter 1 9.62x
Drainie 1 25.19x
Dumbarton 1 9.26x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 31.35x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 12.45x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 13.14x
Elgin 1 11.45x
Glenshiel 1 238.10x
Hamilton 1 3.84x
Islington London 1 0.36x
Kiltearn 1 85.47x
Nairn 1 18.69x
Scone 1 43.48x
South Uist 1 16.61x
Torosay 1 123.46x
Uig 1 27.86x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Julia 2
Agnes 1
Christina 1
Eleabor 1
Emma 1
Gertrude 1
Sally 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Donald 1
Edmund 1
Miles 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 Macphail households.

FAQ

Macphail surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macphail surname in 1881?

In 1881, 356 people were recorded with the Macphail surname. That placed it at #8,665 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macphail surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,289 in 2016. That gives Macphail a modern rank of #4,647.

What does the Macphail surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacFail" meaning son of Paul.

What does the Macphail map show?

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