NameCensus.

UK surname

Magowan

A surname derived from Irish Gaelic meaning "son of the shaggy lad or cleric".

In the 1881 census there were 56 people recorded with the Magowan surname, ranking it #25,733 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 400, ranked #11,879, up from #25,733 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Sheffield and Kettering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Magowan is 436 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 614.3%.

1881 census count

56

Ranked #25,733

Modern count

400

2016, ranked #11,879

Peak year

2002

436 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Magowan had 56 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,733 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 400 in 2016, ranked #11,879.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 56 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Magowan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Magowan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Magowan 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 21 #29,550
1861 historical 35 #29,571
1881 historical 56 #25,733
1891 historical 42 #31,018
1901 historical 55 #28,064
1911 historical 54 #27,423
1997 modern 385 #11,314
1998 modern 386 #11,668
1999 modern 400 #11,439
2000 modern 408 #11,232
2001 modern 404 #11,142
2002 modern 436 #10,712
2003 modern 431 #10,653
2004 modern 432 #10,658
2005 modern 422 #10,739
2006 modern 432 #10,583
2007 modern 427 #10,782
2008 modern 418 #11,083
2009 modern 424 #11,179
2010 modern 423 #11,470
2011 modern 417 #11,462
2012 modern 393 #11,874
2013 modern 419 #11,511
2014 modern 409 #11,808
2015 modern 407 #11,760
2016 modern 400 #11,879

Geography

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Where Magowans 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 Cornwall, Sheffield, Kettering, Johnstone North West and Redcar and Cleveland. 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 Cornwall 048 Cornwall
2 Sheffield 018 Sheffield
3 Kettering 006 Kettering
4 Johnstone North West Renfrewshire
5 Redcar and Cleveland 009 Redcar and Cleveland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Magowan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Magowan

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Magowan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Magowan is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Magowan falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Magowan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Magowan

The surname Magowan is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Dalriada in the region that is now modern-day Northern Ireland and western Scotland. It is believed to be an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mag Ualghairg," which means "descendant of Ualgharg."

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in ancient Irish annals and manuscripts dating back to the 12th century. One notable mention is in the Annals of Ulster, which chronicle the death of a man named Magowan in the year 1199.

During the medieval period, the Magowan clan held lands in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, particularly in the area around the town of Ballymoney. Some historical records suggest that the name may have been associated with the O'Neill dynasty, one of the most powerful Gaelic royal families in Ulster.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest, which were records of land grants and appointments made by the English Crown in Ireland. This indicates that members of the Magowan family were involved in the turbulent events of the Tudor conquest and plantation of Ulster.

One notable figure in the history of the Magowan name was Terence Magowan, a Catholic bishop who lived in the 17th century and played a role in the Confederate Wars of the 1640s. Another was John Magowan, a merchant and landowner in County Antrim, who was born in 1678 and left a significant estate upon his death in 1745.

The name Magowan has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Magown's Brae and Magown's Bridge in County Antrim, reflecting the family's historical presence in the region.

Throughout the centuries, the Magowan surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Magowan, Magowan, Magoun, Magoun, and Magavin, among others. These variations likely arose due to the challenges of transliterating the Gaelic name into English and the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Magowan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Magowan 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. Yorkshire leads with 23 Magowans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.25x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 23 4.25x
Lancashire 15 2.32x
Durham 6 3.69x
Hampshire 6 5.36x
Ayrshire 4 9.79x
Hertfordshire 1 2.66x
Surrey 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middlesbrough in Yorkshire leads with 11 Magowans recorded in 1881 and an index of 156.03x.

Place Total Index
Middlesbrough 11 156.03x
Barrow In Furness 6 68.10x
Hunslet 6 71.09x
Southampton St Mary 6 85.23x
Salford 5 26.23x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 56.82x
Marske In Guisbrough 4 416.67x
Newton On Ayr 4 327.87x
Manchester 3 10.30x
Bradfield 1 47.85x
Great Houghton 1 1428.57x
Heworth 1 31.25x
Lamesley 1 114.94x
Liverpool 1 2.54x
Sawbridgeworth 1 175.44x
Tooting Graveney 1 135.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Susan 2
Anne 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizebeth 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Marey 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Martha 1
May 1
Miriam 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
William 4
George 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
John 2
Arthur 1
Cuthbert 1
Edward 1
Fergus 1
Francis 1
Hugh 1
Joseph 1
Miles 1
Neil 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Scott 1
Wm. 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 Magowan households.

FAQ

Magowan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Magowan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 56 people were recorded with the Magowan surname. That placed it at #25,733 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Magowan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 400 in 2016. That gives Magowan a modern rank of #11,879.

What does the Magowan surname mean?

A surname derived from Irish Gaelic meaning "son of the shaggy lad or cleric".

What does the Magowan map show?

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