NameCensus.

UK surname

Malcomson

Son of Malcolm, a Scottish name derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "disciple of Saint Columba".

In the 1881 census there were 84 people recorded with the Malcomson surname, ranking it #21,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 125, ranked #26,827, down from #21,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lerwick, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Bonhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre Forest, Dalmilling and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Malcomson is 149 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.8%.

1881 census count

84

Ranked #21,690

Modern count

125

2016, ranked #26,827

Peak year

1851

149 bearers

Map years

4

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Malcomson had 84 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016, ranked #26,827.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 149 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Malcomson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Malcomson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Malcomson 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 149 #12,967
1861 historical 74 #24,370
1881 historical 84 #21,690
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 42 #28,691
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 112 #26,165
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 116 #26,209
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 128 #26,036
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 118 #27,250
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 127 #26,634
2015 modern 125 #26,808
2016 modern 125 #26,827

Geography

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Where Malcomsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lerwick, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Bonhill, Kirkcudbright and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre Forest, Dalmilling, Kensington and Chelsea and Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central. 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 Lerwick Shetland
2 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
3 Bonhill Dunbarton
4 Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre Forest 011 Wyre Forest
2 Dalmilling South Ayrshire
3 Kensington and Chelsea 015 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde
5 Kensington and Chelsea 011 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Malcomson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Malcomson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Malcomson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Malcomson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Malcomson is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Malcomson 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

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

Meaning and origin of Malcomson

The surname Malcomson is of Scottish origin, derived from the given name Malcolm, which means "disciple of St. Columba." The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 12th century in the Scottish Lowlands.

The name Malcomson is believed to have originated as a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Malcolm." In medieval times, it was common for surnames to be formed by adding the suffix "-son" to a father's given name. This practice was particularly prevalent in Scotland and other parts of the British Isles.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Malcomson surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This document mentions a William Malcomson from the region of Ayrshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Malcomson name was particularly concentrated in the counties of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. Some notable Malcomsons from this period include John Malcomson (1572-1634), a merchant and landowner in Ayrshire, and Robert Malcomson (1612-1678), a minister and theologian in Lanarkshire.

As the centuries progressed, members of the Malcomson family began to migrate to other parts of the world, including Ireland, England, and North America. One notable figure was William Malcomson (1809-1890), an Irish businessman and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1870.

Another significant Malcomson was Thomas Malcomson (1788-1868), a Scottish-born merchant and shipbuilder who established a successful shipbuilding company in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. His son, Samuel Malcomson (1820-1900), continued the family business and became a prominent figure in the Canadian shipping industry.

Other notable Malcomsons include Robert Malcomson (1825-1904), an Irish-born industrialist and philanthropist who co-founded the Malcomson Brothers company in Liverpool, England, and Sir John Malcomson (1879-1952), a British businessman and public servant who served as the Lord Lieutenant of County Down in Northern Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Malcomson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Malcomson 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 23 Malcomsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.28x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 23 2.28x
Ayrshire 14 22.04x
Orkney 11 117.77x
Angus 7 8.90x
Shetland 7 80.74x
Kent 5 1.73x
Isle of Man 4 25.38x
Hampshire 3 1.72x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 24.41x
Lanarkshire 3 1.09x
Yorkshire 3 0.36x
Renfrewshire 2 3.04x
Northumberland 1 0.79x
Staffordshire 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalry in Ayrshire leads with 14 Malcomsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 468.23x.

Place Total Index
Dalry 14 468.23x
Walls Flotta 11 2500.00x
St Vigeans 7 165.09x
Dunrossness 6 526.32x
Oldham 6 18.46x
Toxteth Park 6 17.60x
Moston 5 495.05x
Woolwich 5 46.73x
Arbory 4 1176.47x
Govan 3 4.42x
Portsea 3 8.80x
Barrow In Furness 2 14.60x
Kirkcudbright 2 196.08x
Lochwinnoch 2 204.08x
North Meols 2 20.28x
Widnes 2 27.55x
Delting 1 204.08x
Kirkpatrick Durham 1 263.16x
Middlesbrough 1 9.13x
Sandhoe 1 1666.67x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 3.29x
Whitby 1 35.34x
York St Giles In 1 126.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 3
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Isabella 2
Agness 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Enie 1
Helen 1
Martha 1
Polly 1
Reuree 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
John 3
Alexander 2
Samuel 2
William 2
Andrew 1
David 1
Henry 1
Jno. 1
Magnas 1
Robert 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 Malcomson households.

FAQ

Malcomson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Malcomson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 84 people were recorded with the Malcomson surname. That placed it at #21,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Malcomson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 125 in 2016. That gives Malcomson a modern rank of #26,827.

What does the Malcomson surname mean?

Son of Malcolm, a Scottish name derived from a Gaelic personal name meaning "disciple of Saint Columba".

What does the Malcomson map show?

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