NameCensus.

UK surname

Macwhirter

In the 1881 census there were 15 people recorded with the Macwhirter surname, ranking it #31,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 105, ranked #30,114, up from #31,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Calderdale and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Macwhirter is 115 in 2005. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 600.0%.

1881 census count

15

Ranked #31,451

Modern count

105

2016, ranked #30,114

Peak year

2005

115 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Macwhirter had 15 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016, ranked #30,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 29 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Macwhirter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Macwhirter surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Macwhirter 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 2 #33,133
1861 historical 5 #33,418
1881 historical 15 #31,451
1891 historical 10 #33,355
1901 historical 29 #30,848
1911 historical 17 #31,675
1997 modern 92 #28,079
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 96 #28,326
2000 modern 102 #27,425
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 104 #27,646
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 106 #28,016
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 107 #29,561
2014 modern 106 #30,030
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 105 #30,114

Geography

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Where Macwhirters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Calderdale, Plymouth, Arun and IZ07. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 034 Northumberland
2 Calderdale 015 Calderdale
3 Plymouth 001 Plymouth
4 Arun 003 Arun
5 IZ07 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Macwhirter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Macwhirter

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Macwhirter surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Macwhirter household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Macwhirter is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Macwhirter is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Macwhirter falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Macwhirter 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 Macwhirter, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Macwhirter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Macwhirter 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. Lanarkshire leads with 2 Macwhirters recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.76x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 2 12.76x
Renfrewshire 2 53.19x
Kent 1 6.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 2 Macwhirters recorded in 1881 and an index of 51.55x.

Place Total Index
Govan 2 51.55x
Neilston 2 1052.63x
Chatham 1 217.39x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 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 Macwhirter households.

Occupation Count
Private 53 Foot 1

FAQ

Macwhirter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Macwhirter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15 people were recorded with the Macwhirter surname. That placed it at #31,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Macwhirter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 105 in 2016. That gives Macwhirter a modern rank of #30,114.

What does the Macwhirter map show?

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