NameCensus.

UK surname

Mah

A Chinese surname meaning "horse" or referring to someone who worked with horses.

In the 1881 census there were 1 people recorded with the Mah surname, ranking it #34,027 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 126, ranked #26,686, up from #34,027 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cambridge, Redbridge and Worthing.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mah is 126 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12500.0%.

1881 census count

1

Ranked #34,027

Modern count

126

2016, ranked #26,686

Peak year

2016

126 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mah had 1 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #34,027 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016, ranked #26,686.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Mah surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mah surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mah 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 3 #32,890
1881 historical 1 #34,027
1997 modern 63 #31,335
1998 modern 56 #32,313
1999 modern 55 #32,561
2000 modern 52 #32,916
2001 modern 49 #33,048
2002 modern 58 #32,564
2003 modern 54 #32,990
2004 modern 61 #32,581
2005 modern 63 #32,602
2006 modern 66 #32,629
2007 modern 69 #32,662
2008 modern 82 #31,597
2009 modern 91 #30,944
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 88 #31,801
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 114 #28,608
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 126 #26,686

Geography

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Where Mahs 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 Cambridge, Redbridge, Worthing, Glenrothes Caskieberran and Rimbleton and City Centre East. 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 Cambridge 007 Cambridge
2 Redbridge 027 Redbridge
3 Worthing 006 Worthing
4 Glenrothes Caskieberran and Rimbleton Fife
5 City Centre East Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mah

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mah 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 Mah

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Mah surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Mah 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mah 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

Mah 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

Mah falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mah is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Chinese

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

Meaning and origin of Mah

The surname MAH originated in northern Germany, likely emerging during the Middle Ages between 1000-1300 CE. It may be derived from the Old German word "mahha" meaning "kinsman" or "relative". Alternatively, it could stem from a place name like Mahndorf or Mahlendorf, villages in Lower Saxony and Mecklenburg respectively.

Early records of the name can be found in 15th century tax rolls and parish registers across Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The Mahe family is listed in a 1498 census of Lübeck, one of the principal cities of the Hanseatic League. Johan Mahe, a merchant and alderman, is noted as a signatory on a 1525 trade agreement with Danish authorities.

The Domesday Book, a great Norman census from 1086, does not reference MAH as it primarily covers England. However, variants like Maa and Mahe appear in Dutch and French records from that era. Willems Maa is recorded as a shipwright in Rotterdam in 1235. Giles de Mahe held lands near Picardy, France in the late 12th century according to monastic charters.

Notable bearers of the name over time include Hans Mah (c.1475-1541), a master baker in Rostock renowned for his gingerbread recipes. Johann Bernhard Mah (1718-1783) was a Lutheran pastor in Stargard, Prussia and published several volumes of sermons. During the Napoleonic Wars, Prussian cavalry officer Friedrich von Mah (1779-1857) fought at Borodino and Leipzig.

In the 19th century, Carl Mah (1832-1887) emigrated from Mecklenburg to Australia where he became a prosperous sheep rancher near Ballarat. His descendant Alfred Mah (1870-1939) held a seat in the Australian House of Representatives. Serving in both World Wars, British general Sir Wilfred Mah (1892-1967) commanded forces in Egypt and Italy during World War 2.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mah families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mah 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 1 Mahs recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.47x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1 10.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Normanton in Yorkshire leads with 1 Mahs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3333.33x.

Place Total Index
Normanton 1 3333.33x

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 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 Mah households.

Occupation Count
Coal Miner 1

FAQ

Mah surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mah surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1 people were recorded with the Mah surname. That placed it at #34,027 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mah surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016. That gives Mah a modern rank of #26,686.

What does the Mah surname mean?

A Chinese surname meaning "horse" or referring to someone who worked with horses.

What does the Mah map show?

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