NameCensus.

UK surname

Macritchie

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the rich man".

In the 1881 census there were 64 people recorded with the Macritchie surname, ranking it #24,561 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 522, ranked #9,693, up from #24,561 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lochs, Barvas and Carloway and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northwest Lewis, Broadbay and Stornoway West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macritchie is 522 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 715.6%.

1881 census count

64

Ranked #24,561

Modern count

522

2016, ranked #9,693

Peak year

2016

522 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macritchie had 64 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,561 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 522 in 2016, ranked #9,693.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 166 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Macritchie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macritchie surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Macritchie 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 59 #26,466
1881 historical 64 #24,561
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 11 #32,463
1997 modern 385 #11,314
1998 modern 435 #10,678
1999 modern 417 #11,091
2000 modern 430 #10,804
2001 modern 403 #11,163
2002 modern 394 #11,561
2003 modern 414 #10,980
2004 modern 367 #12,028
2005 modern 376 #11,730
2006 modern 387 #11,514
2007 modern 387 #11,652
2008 modern 387 #11,767
2009 modern 390 #11,950
2010 modern 411 #11,723
2011 modern 387 #12,142
2012 modern 464 #10,439
2013 modern 491 #10,158
2014 modern 515 #9,872
2015 modern 513 #9,836
2016 modern 522 #9,693

Geography

Back to top

Where Macritchies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lochs, Barvas and Carloway, Edinburgh, Stornoway and Uig. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

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

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lochs Ross And Cromarty
2 Barvas and Carloway Ross And Cromarty
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Stornoway Ross And Cromarty
5 Uig Ross And Cromarty

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northwest Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Broadbay Na h-Eileanan Siar
3 Stornoway West Na h-Eileanan Siar
4 Stornoway East Na h-Eileanan Siar
5 Point Na h-Eileanan Siar

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Macritchie

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Macritchie

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Macritchie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Macritchie is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Macritchie 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 Macritchie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Macritchie

The surname MacRitchie has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from a Scottish Gaelic phrase, "Mac Risnidh," which translates to "son of the brindled one." This phrase likely referred to an ancestor with a reddish-brown complexion or hair color.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing this surname was John MacRitchie, who was born in the late 1500s in the Scottish Highlands. Historical records indicate that he was a farmer and landowner in the region of Perthshire. Another notable figure with this surname was Dugald MacRitchie, born in 1670 in Argyll, Scotland. He served as a soldier in the Scottish Army during the late 17th century.

The MacRitchie surname has also been documented in various historical records, such as the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland from the late 16th century. This register contains references to individuals with the surname, indicating their presence in various parts of Scotland during that time period.

As for notable individuals with the MacRitchie surname, one can mention William MacRitchie, a Scottish botanist born in 1850, who conducted extensive research on the flora of New Zealand. Another prominent figure was David MacRitchie, born in 1851, who was a Scottish writer and anthropologist known for his works on Scottish folklore and ancient Celtic culture.

In the realm of literature, Archibald MacRitchie, born in 1878, was a Scottish author and journalist who wrote several books on Scottish history and culture. Additionally, James MacRitchie, born in 1835, was a Scottish artist renowned for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands.

The MacRitchie surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as MacRitchie's Field and MacRitchie's Burn, both located in the Perthshire region. These place names likely derived from individuals with the MacRitchie surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Macritchie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macritchie 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. Ross-shire leads with 31 Macritchies recorded in 1881 and an index of 241.25x.

County Total Index
Ross-shire 31 241.25x
Midlothian 12 19.14x
East Lothian 2 32.26x
Middlesex 2 0.43x
Aberdeenshire 1 2.31x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Uig in Ross-shire leads with 26 Macritchies recorded in 1881 and an index of 4482.76x.

Place Total Index
Uig 26 4482.76x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 12 47.58x
Stornoway 4 238.10x
Berwick North 2 465.12x
St Marylebone London 2 8.00x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 12.33x
Lochs 1 98.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 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 Macritchie households.

Occupation Count
Draper 1

FAQ

Macritchie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macritchie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 64 people were recorded with the Macritchie surname. That placed it at #24,561 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macritchie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 522 in 2016. That gives Macritchie a modern rank of #9,693.

What does the Macritchie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of the rich man".

What does the Macritchie map show?

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