NameCensus.

UK surname

Magalhaes

A surname of Portuguese origin meaning "son of Magalhães".

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Boston, Harlow and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Magalhaes is 260 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

260

2016, ranked #16,349

Peak year

2016

260 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 260 in 2016, ranked #16,349.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Young Families.

Magalhaes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Magalhaes surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Magalhaes 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
1861 historical 1 #34,435
1911 historical 1 #34,332
1997 modern 49 #32,776
1998 modern 54 #32,518
1999 modern 74 #30,759
2000 modern 66 #31,553
2001 modern 66 #31,394
2002 modern 86 #29,771
2003 modern 105 #26,940
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 141 #22,833
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 186 #19,524
2009 modern 202 #18,896
2010 modern 217 #18,443
2011 modern 206 #18,907
2012 modern 222 #17,921
2013 modern 237 #17,423
2014 modern 246 #17,079
2015 modern 252 #16,705
2016 modern 260 #16,349

Geography

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Where Magalhaes' 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 Boston, Harlow, Breckland and Brent. 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 Boston 002 Boston
2 Harlow 005 Harlow
3 Boston 003 Boston
4 Breckland 007 Breckland
5 Brent 022 Brent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Magalhaes

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Magalhaes

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Ethnically Diverse Young Families

Nationally, the Magalhaes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Young Families, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Magalhaes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many younger parents born overseas (particularly in Africa or EU countries) with children aged 0-4. Individuals identifying as of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities are also common. English may not be the primary language spoken. Accommodation consists principally of flats, and many properties are socially rented and/or overcrowded. Students are also present, unemployment is common, and other adults tend to work in low skilled jobs.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Magalhaes 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

Magalhaes is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Magalhaes falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Magalhaes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Magalhaes

The surname Magalhaes originated in Portugal, deriving its name from the town of Magalhaes in the northern region of the country. The name itself can be traced back to the 13th century, with roots in the Latin word "Macella," meaning marketplace or provision store.

During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, the name Magalhaes gained prominence with the exploits of the famous Portuguese explorer Fernao de Magalhaes, better known as Ferdinand Magellan. Born around 1480, Magellan led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, and the strait at the southern tip of South America bears his name to this day.

In the 16th century, the name Magalhaes appeared in various historical records, including the writings of Portuguese chroniclers such as Gaspar Correia and Joao de Barros, who documented the voyages of Magellan and other Portuguese explorers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Magalhaes can be found in the "Livro de Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese genealogical work compiled in the 13th and 14th centuries. This document mentions several members of the Magalhaes family, including Pero Martins de Magalhaes, who lived in the 13th century.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Magalhaes was Duarte de Magalhaes, a 16th-century Portuguese nobleman and military commander who served as the Governor of Brazil between 1556 and 1557.

In the realm of literature, José Vieira Couto de Magalhaes was a prominent 19th-century Brazilian poet and playwright, best known for his poem "A Confederação dos Tamoyos" (The Confederation of the Tamoyos), which celebrated the resistance of indigenous Brazilians against Portuguese colonization.

Moving into the 20th century, Rodrigo Magalhaes was a respected Brazilian architect and urban planner, responsible for the design of several notable buildings and urban projects in Rio de Janeiro and other cities.

Finally, in the world of contemporary sports, Luiz Magalhaes is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC fighter, known for his impressive grappling skills and submission victories in the octagon.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Magalhaes surname: questions and answers

How common is the Magalhaes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 260 in 2016. That gives Magalhaes a modern rank of #16,349.

What does the Magalhaes surname mean?

A surname of Portuguese origin meaning "son of Magalhães".

What does the Magalhaes map show?

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