NameCensus.

UK surname

Magrath

A surname derived from the Irish MacRath, meaning "son of prosperity" or "son of grace."

In the 1881 census there were 315 people recorded with the Magrath surname, ranking it #9,393 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 352, ranked #13,104, down from #9,393 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, South Hams and Bury.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Magrath is 382 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.7%.

1881 census count

315

Ranked #9,393

Modern count

352

2016, ranked #13,104

Peak year

1901

382 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Magrath had 315 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,393 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 352 in 2016, ranked #13,104.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 382 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Magrath surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Magrath surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Magrath 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 305 #7,542
1861 historical 291 #8,653
1881 historical 315 #9,393
1891 historical 314 #10,694
1901 historical 382 #9,775
1911 historical 352 #10,229
1997 modern 332 #12,645
1998 modern 343 #12,707
1999 modern 369 #12,147
2000 modern 378 #11,882
2001 modern 368 #11,952
2002 modern 360 #12,360
2003 modern 349 #12,435
2004 modern 340 #12,707
2005 modern 329 #12,966
2006 modern 322 #13,234
2007 modern 332 #13,087
2008 modern 323 #13,462
2009 modern 345 #13,107
2010 modern 360 #12,953
2011 modern 347 #13,167
2012 modern 363 #12,592
2013 modern 365 #12,766
2014 modern 357 #13,068
2015 modern 350 #13,159
2016 modern 352 #13,104

Geography

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Where Magraths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras, Toxteth Park and Wigan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, South Hams, Bury and Windsor and Maidenhead. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Wigan Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 011 Wigan
2 South Hams 008 South Hams
3 Bury 006 Bury
4 Wigan 003 Wigan
5 Windsor and Maidenhead 017 Windsor and Maidenhead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Magrath

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Magrath

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Magrath surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Magrath 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Magrath 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

Magrath 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

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

Meaning and origin of Magrath

The surname Magrath originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name 'Mac Craith', meaning 'son of Craith'. The name can be traced back to the ancient kingdom of Desmond in County Cork, where it was first found in the 11th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the Magrath surname date back to the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the 11th and 12th centuries. One of the earliest notable figures was Donatus Magrath, who was appointed Bishop of Down and Connor in 1565.

The Magrath family played a prominent role in the political and ecclesiastical affairs of Munster during the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1608, John Magrath was appointed Archbishop of Cashel, a position he held until his death in 1622. Another notable figure was Myler Magrath, a controversial figure who served as the Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor before converting to Protestantism and becoming the Archbishop of Cashel in 1570.

During the 17th century, the Magrath surname began to spread beyond Munster, with members of the family settling in other parts of Ireland. One notable figure from this period was Redmund Magrath, a Franciscan friar who was born in County Tipperary in 1625 and became a renowned scholar and author.

In the 18th century, the Magrath family continued to play a significant role in Irish society. One notable figure was John Magrath, a successful lawyer and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for County Cork in the Irish House of Commons from 1761 to 1768.

The 19th century saw several prominent members of the Magrath family make their mark in various fields. One such figure was John Magrath, a successful businessman and philanthropist who was born in County Cork in 1826. He made his fortune in the shipping industry and later donated much of his wealth to charitable causes.

Another notable figure from this period was William Magrath, a renowned scholar and educator who was born in County Tipperary in 1838. He served as the president of Queen's College, Cork, and later became the first vice-chancellor of the newly established National University of Ireland in 1908.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Magrath families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Magrath 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. Lancashire leads with 72 Magraths recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 72 1.97x
Middlesex 58 1.89x
Surrey 37 2.47x
Kent 23 2.19x
Staffordshire 19 1.83x
Glamorgan 15 2.80x
Warwickshire 15 1.94x
Renfrewshire 11 4.62x
Devon 8 1.25x
Essex 8 1.32x
Gloucestershire 8 1.33x
Somerset 8 1.62x
Lanarkshire 6 0.60x
Anglesey 5 9.18x
Berkshire 3 1.30x
Midlothian 3 0.73x
Worcestershire 2 0.50x
Yorkshire 2 0.07x
Ayrshire 1 0.43x
Brecknockshire 1 1.63x
Cumberland 1 0.38x
Denbighshire 1 0.86x
Dorset 1 0.50x
Hampshire 1 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.47x
Leicestershire 1 0.29x
Lincolnshire 1 0.20x
Monmouthshire 1 0.45x
Sussex 1 0.19x
Wiltshire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warrington in Lancashire leads with 15 Magraths recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.71x.

Place Total Index
Warrington 15 34.71x
Southwark St John 12 127.66x
Liverpool 10 4.52x
St Marylebone London 10 6.10x
Toxteth Park 10 8.10x
Camberwell 9 4.59x
Wigan 9 17.66x
Abbey 8 22.02x
Kensington London 8 4.68x
Rushall 8 131.15x
Spotland 8 19.73x
Walcot 8 30.37x
Hornsey 7 18.01x
St Pancras London 7 2.83x
Swanscombe 7 148.62x
Bermondsey 6 6.56x
Dartford 6 55.97x
Govan 6 2.44x
Great Warley 6 437.96x
Hammerwich 6 408.16x
Leamington Priors 6 31.46x
Aston 5 2.34x
Bristol St Paul In 5 31.15x
Dawlish 5 104.82x
Isleworth 5 36.60x
Llanfair Pwll Gwyngyll 5 526.32x
Birmingham 4 1.55x
Bromley London 4 5.92x
Clase 4 20.11x
Greenwich 4 8.18x
Newington 4 3.52x
Oldham 4 3.40x
Orrell 4 88.30x
Wandsworth 4 13.52x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 3 5.29x
East Teignmouth 3 114.50x
Inverkip 3 53.48x
Oswaldtwistle 3 23.29x
St John Near Swansea 3 45.32x
Whitechapel London 3 9.90x
Bilston 2 9.95x
Cotton 2 289.86x
Coyty Lower 2 57.64x
Edinburgh Old 2 80.00x
Harrow 2 42.55x
Islington London 2 0.67x
Kings Norton 2 5.56x
Kirkdale 2 3.26x
Leeds 2 1.16x
Manchester 2 1.22x
Paddington London 2 1.77x
Priscerwyn 2 327.87x
Ratcliffe London 2 11.79x
St George In East 2 9.57x
Swansea Town 2 4.56x
Winkfield 2 52.22x
Bradford On Avon 1 11.49x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 9.15x
Croydon 1 1.20x
East Grinstead 1 13.64x
Erith 1 9.68x
Everton 1 0.86x
Forest Gate 1 119.05x
Glanford Brigg 1 57.14x
Glynfach 1 2000.00x
Great Crosby 1 10.06x
Hillingdon 1 10.20x
Mile End Old Town 1 2.06x
Newcastle Higher 1 27.55x
North Leith 1 5.25x
Old Cumnock 1 19.53x
Plumstead 1 2.86x
Portland 1 9.23x
Portsea 1 0.81x
Preston 1 1.03x
St Dunstan In West 1 151.52x
Watford 1 6.09x
Whitwick 1 23.09x
Woolwich 1 2.58x
Workington 1 6.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Ellen 10
Catherine 8
Elizabeth 8
Ann 6
Bridget 5
Jane 5
Isabella 4
Margaret 4
Caroline 3
Harriet 3
Kate 3
Sarah 3
Sophia 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Georgina 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Nora 2
Thomasina 2
Angelina 1
Anne 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Daisy 1
Efort 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hannorah 1
Harriett 1
Honorah 1
Johana 1
Julia 1
Lausia 1
Margt. 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Nonie 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Xavier 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 26
Thomas 14
William 13
James 10
Charles 5
Frederick 5
Patrick 5
Edward 4
Henry 4
Michael 4
Peter 4
Harry 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
David 2
Denis 2
George 2
Percy 2
Beauchamp 1
Bernard 1
Bertram 1
Botuck 1
Chas. 1
Dennis 1
Edmund 1
Francis 1
Fredk.Jams. 1
Fredrick 1
Gerald 1
Gregory 1
Horace 1
Ivan 1
Jeremiah 1
Luke 1
Marcus 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Mathias 1
Michl. 1
Oswald 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Roger 1
Stanley 1
Stewart 1
Vincent 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Chas. 1

FAQ

Magrath surname: questions and answers

How common was the Magrath surname in 1881?

In 1881, 315 people were recorded with the Magrath surname. That placed it at #9,393 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Magrath surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 352 in 2016. That gives Magrath a modern rank of #13,104.

What does the Magrath surname mean?

A surname derived from the Irish MacRath, meaning "son of prosperity" or "son of grace."

What does the Magrath map show?

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