NameCensus.

UK surname

Magness

Derived from a place name meaning "Mack's headland" in Old English, or from the Irish name "Mag Aonghusa," meaning "descendant of Angus."

In the 1881 census there were 204 people recorded with the Magness surname, ranking it #12,682 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 259, ranked #16,393, down from #12,682 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bicknor, English and Walsingham, Little. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wrexham, Torfaen and Uttlesford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Magness is 285 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.0%.

1881 census count

204

Ranked #12,682

Modern count

259

2016, ranked #16,393

Peak year

2000

285 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Magness had 204 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,682 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016, ranked #16,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 266 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Magness surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Magness surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Magness 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 168 #11,873
1861 historical 160 #14,468
1881 historical 204 #12,682
1891 historical 245 #12,950
1901 historical 244 #13,329
1911 historical 266 #12,395
1997 modern 255 #15,077
1998 modern 265 #15,087
1999 modern 267 #15,097
2000 modern 285 #14,422
2001 modern 270 #14,734
2002 modern 271 #14,966
2003 modern 277 #14,577
2004 modern 263 #15,189
2005 modern 260 #15,250
2006 modern 251 #15,696
2007 modern 253 #15,776
2008 modern 262 #15,550
2009 modern 271 #15,511
2010 modern 266 #16,067
2011 modern 261 #16,145
2012 modern 253 #16,377
2013 modern 255 #16,551
2014 modern 267 #16,161
2015 modern 265 #16,139
2016 modern 259 #16,393

Geography

Back to top

Where Magness' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bicknor, English, Walsingham, Little, Bedwelty and Weobley, Bishopstone, Mansell Lacy, Dilwyn, Eardisland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wrexham, Torfaen, Uttlesford, Flintshire and Bexley. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Bicknor, English Monmouthshire
3 Walsingham, Little Norfolk
4 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
5 Weobley, Bishopstone, Mansell Lacy, Dilwyn, Eardisland Herefordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wrexham 003 Wrexham
2 Torfaen 004 Torfaen
3 Uttlesford 004 Uttlesford
4 Flintshire 017 Flintshire
5 Bexley 009 Bexley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Magness

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Magness

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Magness, 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 Magness surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Magness 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Magness is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Magness is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Magness

The surname Magness originated in England, and it is believed to have emerged in the late 13th century or early 14th century. It is derived from the Old English words "mægen" meaning "strength" or "force" and "nesse" meaning "headland" or "promontory." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived near a prominent or strong headland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Magness can be found in the Feet of Fines records for the county of Lincolnshire, dated 1327, which mentions a John Magneys. In the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire from 1327, there is a reference to a Robert Magnesse.

The Magness surname was also present in various medieval records, such as the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which lists a William Magnays. Additionally, the Hearth Tax returns for Lancashire in 1662 include a Robert Magnes.

Some notable individuals bearing the Magness surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John Magness (c. 1450-1525), an English landowner and member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Henry VIII. 2. Elizabeth Magness (1580-1642), an English Puritan settler in colonial Massachusetts and one of the founders of the town of Ipswich. 3. Thomas Magness (1637-1712), an English-born farmer and landowner in colonial Virginia, known for his involvement in the Bacon's Rebellion of 1676. 4. Richard Magness (1725-1798), a Scottish-born merchant and ship captain who settled in Charleston, South Carolina, and played a role in the American Revolutionary War. 5. Mary Magness (1822-1892), an influential educator and advocate for women's rights in Kentucky, who established several schools for girls in the mid-19th century.

While the Magness surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as a result of migration and settlement patterns over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Magness families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Magness 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. Herefordshire leads with 72 Magness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 90.46x.

County Total Index
Herefordshire 72 90.46x
Brecknockshire 23 59.26x
Gloucestershire 17 4.47x
Staffordshire 17 2.59x
Kent 10 1.51x
Middlesex 10 0.52x
Lancashire 8 0.35x
Norfolk 7 2.35x
Yorkshire 5 0.26x
Derbyshire 4 1.32x
Lincolnshire 4 1.29x
Shropshire 4 2.39x
Glamorgan 3 0.89x
Monmouthshire 3 2.14x
Sussex 3 0.92x
Warwickshire 3 0.61x
Surrey 2 0.21x
Cheshire 1 0.23x
Hampshire 1 0.25x
Lanarkshire 1 0.16x
Leicestershire 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hay in Brecknockshire leads with 23 Magness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1597.22x.

Place Total Index
Hay 23 1597.22x
English Bicknor 17 4047.62x
Lower Bullingham 16 5000.00x
Woolwich 9 36.78x
Accrington 8 38.20x
Wednesfield 7 72.61x
Dilwyn 6 857.14x
Hereford All Sts 6 164.38x
Tipton 6 29.91x
Egton 5 595.24x
Leominster Out 5 666.67x
Almeley 4 1000.00x
Ashperton 4 1481.48x
Boston 4 42.46x
Dinedor 4 2352.94x
Eardisland 4 769.23x
Hackney London 4 3.68x
Huntington In Hereford 4 4444.44x
Litchurch 4 32.71x
Wombridge 4 193.24x
Abergavenny 3 57.14x
Aston 3 2.23x
Broadwater 3 39.95x
Hereford St Peter 3 140.85x
Little Walsingham 3 441.18x
Merthyr Tydfil 3 9.24x
Sedgley 3 12.33x
Stretton Sugwas 3 1500.00x
Goodrich 2 400.00x
Islington London 2 1.06x
Kings Pyon 2 666.67x
Staunton On Wye 2 571.43x
Terrington St Clement 2 148.15x
Beckenham 1 11.55x
Bermondsey 1 1.73x
Chelsea London 1 1.71x
Clerkenwell London 1 2.18x
Downton 1 833.33x
Dulas 1 1666.67x
Ewyas Harold 1 277.78x
Great Walsingham 1 333.33x
Hendon 1 14.33x
Leicester All Sts 1 23.64x
Leominster 1 30.40x
Leziate 1 714.29x
Linton In Bromyard 1 285.71x
Little Sutton 1 172.41x
Lugwardine 1 200.00x
Maryhill 1 8.14x
Newington 1 1.39x
Pembridge 1 113.64x
Ryde 1 11.70x
Tottenham 1 3.24x
West Bromwich 1 2.67x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 21
John 11
James 8
Henry 7
Thomas 6
George 5
Joseph 5
Charles 3
Richard 3
Arthur 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Evan 2
Frederick 2
Maurice 2
Alfred 1
Allan 1
Edmund 1
Hewey 1
Isaac 1
Oliver 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Magness surname: questions and answers

How common was the Magness surname in 1881?

In 1881, 204 people were recorded with the Magness surname. That placed it at #12,682 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Magness surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016. That gives Magness a modern rank of #16,393.

What does the Magness surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "Mack's headland" in Old English, or from the Irish name "Mag Aonghusa," meaning "descendant of Angus."

What does the Magness map show?

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