NameCensus.

UK surname

Mahy

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the bald one".

In the 1881 census there were 10 people recorded with the Mahy surname, ranking it #32,243 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 155, ranked #23,197, up from #32,243 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fareham, Teignbridge and Purbeck.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mahy is 178 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1450.0%.

1881 census count

10

Ranked #32,243

Modern count

155

2016, ranked #23,197

Peak year

2010

178 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mahy had 10 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,243 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016, ranked #23,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 36 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Mahy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mahy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mahy 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 1 #33,412
1861 historical 6 #33,230
1881 historical 10 #32,243
1891 historical 29 #31,963
1901 historical 36 #30,099
1911 historical 25 #30,654
1997 modern 162 #20,107
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 159 #21,030
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 164 #20,279
2002 modern 168 #20,396
2003 modern 155 #21,217
2004 modern 161 #20,840
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 164 #20,715
2007 modern 165 #20,893
2008 modern 174 #20,385
2009 modern 175 #20,707
2010 modern 178 #20,965
2011 modern 178 #20,809
2012 modern 160 #22,260
2013 modern 170 #21,726
2014 modern 167 #22,180
2015 modern 161 #22,599
2016 modern 155 #23,197

Geography

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Where Mahys 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 Fareham, Teignbridge, Purbeck and Colchester. 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 Fareham 012 Fareham
2 Teignbridge 006 Teignbridge
3 Purbeck 002 Purbeck
4 Teignbridge 005 Teignbridge
5 Colchester 011 Colchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mahy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mahy

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mahy is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mahy 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

Mahy falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mahy 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mahy

The surname MAHY is of Irish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in County Donegal, a region in the north-west of Ireland. The name is thought to have derived from the old Irish Gaelic word "magh," meaning "plain" or "field," potentially indicating that the earliest bearers of this surname lived or worked on a flat, open expanse of land.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name MAHY can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the entry for the year 1290, a figure named Domhnall Ó Maidhe is referenced, which is likely an early spelling variation of the modern MAHY surname.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name MAHY appeared in various records and documents from County Donegal, including land deeds, parish registers, and tax rolls. Notable individuals from this time period include Seán Ó Maidhe, a landowner and chieftain who lived in the late 1500s, and Eoghan MAHY, a prominent scholar and poet born around 1620.

In the 18th century, the name MAHY began to spread beyond its traditional stronghold in County Donegal. One notable figure was Pádraig MAHY, a renowned harpist and composer who was born in 1720 and performed for the Irish aristocracy. His compositions were instrumental in preserving traditional Irish music during a period of cultural suppression.

As the MAHY family dispersed throughout Ireland and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as MAHEY, MAYHEE, and MAGEE. In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Michael MAHY, a successful merchant and philanthropist born in County Donegal in 1825. He made significant contributions to the local community and was instrumental in establishing educational facilities for the underprivileged.

Other notable individuals with the surname MAHY include Kathleen MAHY (1900-1982), a renowned Irish novelist and short story writer, and James MAHY (1865-1946), a respected politician and member of the Irish Parliamentary Party who advocated for Irish home rule in the early 20th century.

While the MAHY surname may have originated in a specific region of Ireland, its bearers have left an indelible mark on various aspects of Irish culture, history, and society over the centuries, from literature and the arts to politics and commerce.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mahy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mahy 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. Channel Islands leads with 381 Mahys recorded in 1881 and an index of 337.11x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 381 337.11x
Hampshire 3 0.38x
Essex 2 0.27x
Gloucestershire 2 0.27x
Kent 2 0.15x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Michaelinthe Vale in Channel Islands leads with 148 Mahys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3672.46x.

Place Total Index
St Michaelinthe Vale 148 3672.46x
St Sampson 114 2239.69x
St Peter Port 55 263.03x
St Maryde Castro 34 1223.02x
St Martin 17 245.66x
St Andrew 6 402.68x
St Helier 4 10.87x
Northwood 3 26.95x
East Ham 2 14.32x
Plumstead 2 4.61x
St Lawrence 2 64.72x
Stapleton 2 14.09x
Brandsby Cum Stearsby 1 256.41x
St Saviour 1 16.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Rachel 13
Alice 11
Elizabeth 11
Martha 11
Lydia 9
Betsy 7
Judith 7
Julia 7
Louisa 7
Nancy 7
Margaret 6
Sophia 5
Betsey 4
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Emma 4
Harriet 4
Ada 3
Amelia 3
Lucy 3
Susan 3
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Louise 2
Maria 2
Patty 2
Agness 1
Aimee 1
Ann 1
Catherine 1
Elise 1
Ellan 1
Emilia 1
Emmeline 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Herietta 1
Jane 1
Lena 1
Lucrecia 1
Margueritte 1
Maud 1
Prescilla 1
Pricilla 1
Zelia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 39
Thomas 22
Peter 16
William 13
Nicholas 12
Daniel 9
Henry 9
Alfred 7
Nicolas 5
Richard 5
George 4
James 4
Charles 3
Ernest 3
Stephen 3
Adolphus 2
Fred. 2
Frederick 2
Fredrick 2
Walter 2
Arthur 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Elias 1
Elisha 1
Emil 1
Eugene 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Jean 1
Michael 1
Nichs. 1
Robert 1
Theophilus 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Mahy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mahy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 10 people were recorded with the Mahy surname. That placed it at #32,243 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mahy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 155 in 2016. That gives Mahy a modern rank of #23,197.

What does the Mahy surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the bald one".

What does the Mahy map show?

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