NameCensus.

UK surname

Markillie

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place name containing the Gaelic elements marg meaning border or march and llie meaning meadow or pasture.

In the 1881 census there were 47 people recorded with the Markillie surname, ranking it #27,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 127, ranked #26,566, up from #27,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Markillie is 153 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 170.2%.

1881 census count

47

Ranked #27,019

Modern count

127

2016, ranked #26,566

Peak year

1999

153 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Markillie had 47 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016, ranked #26,566.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 88 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Markillie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Markillie surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Markillie 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 20 #29,743
1861 historical 9 #32,724
1881 historical 47 #27,019
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 63 #27,134
1911 historical 88 #24,041
1997 modern 136 #22,398
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 153 #21,551
2000 modern 147 #22,081
2001 modern 140 #22,441
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 146 #22,069
2004 modern 148 #22,000
2005 modern 136 #23,205
2006 modern 134 #23,590
2007 modern 128 #24,632
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 140 #24,395
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 134 #25,711
2015 modern 132 #25,859
2016 modern 127 #26,566

Geography

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Where Markillies 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 South Holland and Fenland. 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 South Holland 002 South Holland
2 Fenland 004 Fenland
3 South Holland 008 South Holland
4 South Holland 003 South Holland
5 South Holland 010 South Holland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Markillie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Markillie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Markillie, 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 Markillie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Markillie 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Markillie 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

Markillie is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Markillie

The surname Markillie is believed to have originated in Scotland, possibly in the late 15th or early 16th century. It is thought to be derived from a place name or location, as many Scottish surnames are. One theory suggests that it is related to the Scottish village of Merkill, located in Renfrewshire.

Records indicate that the earliest known spelling of the name was "Markille" or "Markill." This spelling appears in various documents and records from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as parish registers and court proceedings. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Markillie.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, dated 1548, which mentions a "John Markill." Another early reference is in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland from 1594, where a "Robert Markill" is mentioned.

While the name does not appear in major historical records like the Domesday Book, it is possible that earlier variations of the name existed but were not documented or have been lost to time.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Markillie throughout history. One such person was Sir James Markillie (1720-1801), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Glasgow. Another was Sir William Markillie (1828-1912), a Scottish politician and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1891 to 1892.

Other individuals with the surname include John Markillie (1642-1712), a Scottish minister and writer; Alexander Markillie (1783-1855), a Scottish architect known for his work in Aberdeen; and Mary Markillie (1840-1914), a Scottish author and educator who wrote several books on history and literature.

It is worth noting that while the surname Markillie is relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, suggesting a rich and diverse heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Markillie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Markillie 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 40 Markillies recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.58x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 40 54.58x
Middlesex 4 0.87x
Cambridgeshire 2 6.89x
Leicestershire 1 1.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sutton St Mary St James in Lincolnshire leads with 26 Markillies recorded in 1881 and an index of 28888.89x.

Place Total Index
Sutton St Mary St James 26 28888.89x
Holbeach 8 975.61x
Huttoft 5 5555.56x
Chelsea London 4 28.96x
Outwell 2 4000.00x
Leicester St Mary 1 24.33x
Low Toynton 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 3
Harriet 3
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Florence 2
Mary 2
Sarah 2
Ann 1
Anna 1
Bur 1
Charlotte 1
E.A. 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Liddia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 4
Arthur 2
Edward 2
George 2
John 2
Joseph 2
Thomas 2
F. 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Henry 1
J.R. 1
Samuel 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 Markillie households.

FAQ

Markillie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Markillie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47 people were recorded with the Markillie surname. That placed it at #27,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Markillie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 127 in 2016. That gives Markillie a modern rank of #26,566.

What does the Markillie surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from a place name containing the Gaelic elements marg meaning border or march and llie meaning meadow or pasture.

What does the Markillie map show?

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