NameCensus.

UK surname

Malcolm

A Scottish surname derived from the given name Máel Coluim, meaning "disciple of Saint Columba."

In the 1881 census there were 3,956 people recorded with the Malcolm surname, ranking it #1,146 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,684, ranked #1,009, up from #1,146 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wick, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wick South, Kelty East and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Malcolm is 6,758 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.0%.

1881 census count

3,956

Ranked #1,146

Modern count

6,684

2016, ranked #1,009

Peak year

2010

6,758 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Malcolm had 3,956 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,146 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,684 in 2016, ranked #1,009.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,084 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Malcolm surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Malcolm surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Malcolm 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 2,340 #1,269
1861 historical 2,846 #1,028
1881 historical 3,956 #1,146
1891 historical 4,338 #1,090
1901 historical 5,084 #1,107
1911 historical 1,496 #3,224
1997 modern 6,250 #1,052
1998 modern 6,481 #1,052
1999 modern 6,523 #1,056
2000 modern 6,476 #1,059
2001 modern 6,274 #1,066
2002 modern 6,454 #1,060
2003 modern 6,295 #1,060
2004 modern 6,359 #1,053
2005 modern 6,369 #1,027
2006 modern 6,349 #1,031
2007 modern 6,350 #1,042
2008 modern 6,424 #1,028
2009 modern 6,594 #1,027
2010 modern 6,758 #1,025
2011 modern 6,626 #1,031
2012 modern 6,458 #1,038
2013 modern 6,611 #1,030
2014 modern 6,685 #1,022
2015 modern 6,677 #1,017
2016 modern 6,684 #1,009

Geography

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Where Malcolms are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wick, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wick South, Kelty East, County Durham, Stonehaven North and Letham. 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 Wick Caithness
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wick South Highland
2 Kelty East Fife
3 County Durham 032 County Durham
4 Stonehaven North Aberdeenshire
5 Letham Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Malcolm

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Malcolm

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Malcolm surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Malcolm household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Malcolm is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Malcolm is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Malcolm falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Malcolm 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Malcolm

The surname Malcolm has its origins in the Scottish Highlands and dates back to the 12th century. It derives from the Gaelic words "mhall" meaning "bald" and "cam" meaning "crooked." This suggests the name may have originally referred to a person with a distinctive physical appearance or deformity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that lists Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The name is spelled "Malcholum" in this text.

In the 16th century, the Malcolm clan was centered primarily around the village of Balquhidder in the Trossachs region of Stirlingshire, Scotland. The chiefs of the clan held the lands of Poltalloch in Argyll for several generations.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir John Malcolm (1769-1833), a British diplomat and military officer who served as Governor of Bombay from 1827 to 1830. He played a significant role in the expansion of British influence in India during the early 19th century.

Another famous Malcolm was the Scottish writer and poet William Malcolm (1617-1657), who is best known for his work "The Kalendar of Scottish Saints." He was a minister in the Church of Scotland and wrote extensively on religious topics.

In the field of science, John Malcolm (1837-1914) was a Scottish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and boilers. He held numerous patents and his designs were widely used in the industrial revolution.

A more recent historical figure was Donald Malcolm (1901-1975), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as the 21st Premier of Manitoba from 1948 to 1953. He was a prominent member of the Progressive Conservative Party and played a role in the formation of the modern judicial system in Manitoba.

Throughout its history, the surname Malcolm has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Malcolmstone in Aberdeenshire and the village of Malcolm in Ayrshire, which may have derived their names from early bearers of the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Malcolm families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Malcolm 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. Lanarkshire leads with 516 Malcolms recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.15x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 516 4.15x
Angus 413 11.60x
Midlothian 341 6.63x
Fife 272 11.96x
Aberdeenshire 221 6.21x
Caithness 212 40.31x
Lancashire 174 0.38x
Durham 159 1.39x
Middlesex 159 0.41x
Renfrewshire 153 5.14x
Stirlingshire 148 10.45x
Perthshire 128 7.42x
Ayrshire 123 4.28x
Yorkshire 114 0.30x
East Lothian 76 14.94x
Northumberland 74 1.29x
Kincardineshire 65 13.89x
Dunbartonshire 61 5.91x
Clackmannanshire 56 17.65x
Surrey 47 0.25x
Kinross-shire 36 37.07x
Morayshire 35 5.86x
Kirkcudbrightshire 28 5.04x
Staffordshire 27 0.21x
Essex 24 0.32x
Buteshire 23 9.88x
Cheshire 23 0.27x
Hampshire 22 0.28x
Kent 21 0.16x
Dumfriesshire 20 2.36x
Somerset 16 0.26x
Argyllshire 14 1.31x
Roxburghshire 13 1.87x
West Lothian 13 2.25x
Peeblesshire 10 5.53x
Wigtownshire 10 1.96x
Nairnshire 9 7.68x
Ross-shire 8 0.76x
Inverness-shire 7 0.61x
Berkshire 6 0.21x
Cumberland 6 0.18x
Gloucestershire 6 0.08x
Isle of Man 6 0.84x
Lincolnshire 6 0.10x
Channel Islands 4 0.35x
Devon 4 0.05x
Orkney 4 0.95x
Berwickshire 3 0.64x
Norfolk 3 0.05x
Wiltshire 3 0.09x
Banffshire 2 0.25x
Bedfordshire 2 0.10x
Northamptonshire 2 0.06x
Sussex 2 0.03x
Anglesey 1 0.15x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.04x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Glamorgan 1 0.02x
Monmouthshire 1 0.04x
Royal Navy 1 0.22x
Rutland 1 0.35x
Warwickshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 195 Malcolms recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.35x.

Place Total Index
Govan 195 6.35x
Dundee 146 10.99x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 144 6.96x
Wick 138 81.23x
Barony 134 4.26x
Dunfermline 93 26.60x
Glasgow 87 3.94x
Aberdeen Old Machar 73 9.83x
Liff Benvie 55 10.18x
Falkirk 51 15.38x
Penshaw 46 133.99x
West Greenock 43 8.05x
Everton 42 2.89x
Forfar 42 21.79x
Islington London 38 1.02x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 32 4.81x
Clackmannan 31 51.70x
Dunnet 27 127.72x
Lasswade 27 22.95x
South Leith 27 4.66x
St Vigeans 25 13.01x
Cathcart 24 14.90x
St Andrews 23 22.23x
Bishopwearmouth 22 2.24x
Largs 21 31.01x
Leuchars 21 73.02x
Norham 21 165.48x
Paisley Low Church 21 22.28x
Cambusnethan 20 7.25x
Stoke Upon Trent 20 1.45x
Edinburgh St Georges 19 17.79x
Kirkcaldy 19 16.85x
Toxteth Park 19 1.23x
Bradford 18 8.44x
Dunnottar 18 54.69x
East Greenock 17 6.05x
Halkirk 17 47.78x
Kinross 17 51.07x
Kirriemuir 16 18.22x
Newton 16 92.49x
Watten 16 86.53x
Beith 15 17.48x
Kippen 15 78.66x
West Derby 15 1.12x
Alva 14 20.72x
Bute North 14 88.89x
Dunnichen 14 74.63x
Elgin 14 12.06x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 14 2.83x
Kirkintilloch 14 9.98x
Paisley High Church 14 5.91x
Arbroath 13 11.02x
Birkenhead 13 1.92x
Cupar 13 13.14x
Lambeth 13 0.39x
Maryculter 13 92.20x
Monifieth 13 10.34x
North Leith 13 5.46x
Oldhamstocks 13 174.03x
Thornaby 13 9.14x
Belhelvie 12 49.32x
Birse 12 83.28x
Blantyre 12 9.28x
Larbert 12 14.17x
Montrose 12 5.56x
Perth East Church 12 7.38x
Tannadice 12 72.42x
West Ham 12 0.72x
Whitburn 12 14.36x
Cardross 11 8.87x
Chirton 11 8.50x
Dysart 11 7.18x
Fyvie 11 18.95x
Kemnay 11 51.00x
Lesmahagow 11 8.37x
New Monkland 11 3.00x
Prestonkirk 11 43.24x
Tranent 11 16.00x
West Kilbride 11 40.16x
Westoe 11 1.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 66
James 49
William 48
George 28
Thomas 23
Andrew 21
Henry 19
David 18
Robert 17
Alexander 15
Charles 15
Joseph 10
Walter 8
Edward 7
Frederick 6
Peter 6
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Samuel 5
Wm. 5
Arthur 4
Francis 4
Herbert 4
Alfred 3
Archibald 3
Duncan 3
Ralph 3
Adam 2
Alex 2
Harry 2
Laurence 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Albert 1
Alison 1
Archie 1
Arth.F. 1
Benjamin 1
Dugal 1
Edwin 1
Eugene 1
F. 1
Hew 1
Hubert 1
Janeson 1
Jas. 1
Jess 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Wm.W. 1

FAQ

Malcolm surname: questions and answers

How common was the Malcolm surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,956 people were recorded with the Malcolm surname. That placed it at #1,146 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Malcolm surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,684 in 2016. That gives Malcolm a modern rank of #1,009.

What does the Malcolm surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the given name Máel Coluim, meaning "disciple of Saint Columba."

What does the Malcolm map show?

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