NameCensus.

UK surname

Makey

A surname possibly derived from the Scots nickname for Matthew.

In the 1881 census there were 201 people recorded with the Makey surname, ranking it #12,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, down from #12,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Grainthorpe with Ludney and Wrangholm, Louth and Richmond. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Rutland and Sheffield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Makey is 236 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.9%.

1881 census count

201

Ranked #12,791

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

1999

236 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Makey had 201 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 221 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Makey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Makey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Makey 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 158 #12,461
1861 historical 221 #11,031
1881 historical 201 #12,791
1891 historical 194 #15,277
1901 historical 169 #16,824
1911 historical 191 #15,392
1997 modern 226 #16,306
1998 modern 228 #16,706
1999 modern 236 #16,404
2000 modern 236 #16,380
2001 modern 228 #16,525
2002 modern 233 #16,590
2003 modern 229 #16,601
2004 modern 223 #16,965
2005 modern 215 #17,334
2006 modern 219 #17,254
2007 modern 214 #17,688
2008 modern 205 #18,359
2009 modern 220 #17,911
2010 modern 225 #18,000
2011 modern 203 #19,098
2012 modern 206 #18,837
2013 modern 219 #18,385
2014 modern 227 #18,029
2015 modern 226 #17,995
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Makeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Grainthorpe with Ludney and Wrangholm, Louth, Richmond, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Rutland and Sheffield. 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 Grainthorpe with Ludney and Wrangholm Lincolnshire
2 Louth Lincolnshire
3 Richmond Surrey
4 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 031 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Rutland 004 Rutland
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Sheffield 014 Sheffield
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 024 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Makey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Makey

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Makey is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Makey is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Makey falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Makey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Makey

The surname Makey is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "mæcg" meaning "man" or "servant" and "ey" meaning "island." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a man or servant who lived or worked on an island.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Makey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landholders and their estates commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Mackei" and "Mackay," indicating its evolution over time.

During the 13th century, the name Makey was particularly prevalent in the county of Lincolnshire, where it is believed to have been associated with the town of Makey, now known as Market Rasen. This town's name is derived from the Old Norse word "markað," meaning "market," and the Old English word "ræsn," meaning "reeds," suggesting a connection between the surname and the local geography.

Notable individuals with the surname Makey throughout history include:

1. Robert Makey (c. 1540 - 1619), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Chichester Cathedral. 2. Elizabeth Makey (1671 - 1744), a British landowner and philanthropist known for her charitable works in the city of Bristol. 3. John Makey (1789 - 1856), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament. 4. James Makey (1832 - 1901), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in mapping the Australian outback. 5. Margaret Makey (1886 - 1972), an American suffragist and women's rights activist who campaigned for the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

While the name Makey may have evolved and spread to different parts of the world over time, its roots can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely originated as a descriptive surname related to a person's occupation or place of residence on an island or in a town with a similar name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Makey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Makey 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. Lincolnshire leads with 50 Makeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.95x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 50 15.95x
Kent 46 6.88x
Middlesex 23 1.17x
Yorkshire 23 1.18x
Surrey 15 1.57x
Durham 9 1.54x
Nottinghamshire 7 2.65x
Glamorgan 5 1.46x
Hampshire 4 1.00x
Buckinghamshire 3 2.53x
Cheshire 3 0.69x
Pembrokeshire 3 4.81x
Somerset 3 0.95x
Sussex 3 0.91x
Dorset 1 0.78x
Essex 1 0.26x
Gloucestershire 1 0.26x
Lancashire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sculcoates in Yorkshire leads with 13 Makeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.21x.

Place Total Index
Sculcoates 13 42.21x
Dover St James 10 341.30x
Wingham 10 1298.70x
Charlton 9 202.70x
Eythorne 8 2580.65x
Mile End Old Town 8 25.85x
Normanby By Spital 8 2962.96x
Grainthorpe 7 1489.36x
Lambeth 7 4.09x
Richmond 7 52.28x
Southwell 7 364.58x
Heworth 6 52.22x
Holy Trinity 6 12.84x
Kensington London 6 5.50x
Louth 6 83.57x
Branston 5 520.83x
Hackney London 5 4.55x
Tetford 5 1250.00x
Merthyr Tydfil 4 12.19x
South Somercoates 4 1379.31x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 3 42.49x
Cuddington 3 937.50x
Dukinfield 3 15.00x
Eastry 3 322.58x
Eglwys Wrw 3 1000.00x
Hastings St Mary 3 36.45x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 11.88x
Legbourne 3 937.50x
Penselwood 3 1071.43x
Burley 2 465.12x
Edlington 2 1428.57x
Hougham 2 50.25x
Maltby Le Marsh 2 1000.00x
St Mildred Bread 2 20000.00x
Toynton St Peter 2 909.09x
Bardney 1 107.53x
Benniworth 1 384.62x
Brockenhurst 1 144.93x
Cardiff St Nicholas 1 434.78x
Conisholme 1 1111.11x
Dover St Mary Virgin 1 15.46x
Folkestone 1 7.70x
Hampstead London 1 3.28x
Hundleby 1 238.10x
Islington London 1 0.53x
Little Langton 1 1666.67x
New Windsor 1 238.10x
Portsea 1 1.27x
Romford 1 16.34x
Salford 1 1.46x
Snitterby 1 555.56x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 22.68x
Stinsford 1 434.78x
Stonehouse 1 45.66x
Walmer 1 34.36x
Whitfield 1 476.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 15
William 8
Thomas 7
George 5
James 5
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Ernest 3
Peter 3
Richard 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Alonzo 2
Ebenezer 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Albert 1
Archibald 1
Beasley 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.H. 1
Herbert 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Osmond 1
Patrick 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Makey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Makey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 201 people were recorded with the Makey surname. That placed it at #12,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Makey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Makey a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Makey surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from the Scots nickname for Matthew.

What does the Makey map show?

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