NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcadam

Son of Adam, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.

In the 1881 census there were 1,780 people recorded with the Mcadam surname, ranking it #2,435 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,029, ranked #2,221, up from #2,435 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelton, Govan Combination and Bonhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Renfrew West, Rannoch and Aberfeldy and IZ18.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcadam is 3,056 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 70.2%.

1881 census count

1,780

Ranked #2,435

Modern count

3,029

2016, ranked #2,221

Peak year

2010

3,056 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcadam had 1,780 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,435 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,029 in 2016, ranked #2,221.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,231 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcadam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcadam surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mcadam 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 1,244 #2,300
1861 historical 1,331 #2,150
1881 historical 1,780 #2,435
1891 historical 1,957 #2,359
1901 historical 2,231 #2,421
1911 historical 849 #5,229
1997 modern 2,750 #2,334
1998 modern 2,829 #2,360
1999 modern 2,879 #2,346
2000 modern 2,907 #2,314
2001 modern 2,840 #2,310
2002 modern 2,903 #2,318
2003 modern 2,833 #2,322
2004 modern 2,853 #2,308
2005 modern 2,838 #2,288
2006 modern 2,841 #2,289
2007 modern 2,868 #2,289
2008 modern 2,908 #2,269
2009 modern 2,983 #2,262
2010 modern 3,056 #2,263
2011 modern 3,027 #2,248
2012 modern 2,976 #2,245
2013 modern 3,028 #2,248
2014 modern 3,045 #2,245
2015 modern 3,029 #2,230
2016 modern 3,029 #2,221

Geography

Back to top

Where Mcadams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelton, Govan Combination, Bonhill, Edinburgh and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Renfrew West, Rannoch and Aberfeldy, IZ18, Lomond Shore and Carntyne West and Haghill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kelton Kirkcudbright
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Bonhill Dunbarton
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Renfrew West Renfrewshire
2 Rannoch and Aberfeldy Perth and Kinross
3 IZ18 West Dunbartonshire
4 Lomond Shore Argyll and Bute
5 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mcadam

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mcadam

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcadam, 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 Mcadam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcadam 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcadam is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Mcadam 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

Mcadam falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcadam 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 Mcadam, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcadam

The surname MCADAM originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name "MacAidh," which means "son of Adam." The name is believed to have originated in Argyll and the surrounding areas of western Scotland.

The MCADAM name first appeared in written records in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. In the Ragman Rolls, the name appeared as "McAdam" and "McAdame," which were early spelling variations.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the MCADAM surname was John McAdam, who lived in the late 14th century and was a prominent landowner in Ayrshire. Another notable MCADAM was Robert McAdam, who was born in 1491 and served as the Provost of Edinburgh in the early 16th century.

The MCADAM name is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as the village of McAdamstown in Renfrewshire, which was likely named after a local landowner with the MCADAM surname.

One of the most famous individuals with the MCADAM surname was John Loudon McAdam (1756-1836), a Scottish engineer and road builder. He is credited with developing the "macadamized" road construction technique, which involved using layers of compacted crushed stone to create smooth and durable road surfaces.

Another notable MCADAM was Sir Robert McAdam (1865-1953), a British civil engineer and architect who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings and infrastructure projects, including the Admiralty Citadel in Plymouth and the Port of Liverpool.

William McAdam (1831-1877) was a Scottish-born American politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn, New York, in the late 19th century. He was also a prominent businessman and landowner in the area.

The MCADAM surname has also been associated with other historical figures, such as James McAdam (1838-1916), a Scottish-born Australian engineer and railway builder, and Thomas McAdam (1836-1908), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mcadam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcadam 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 46 Mcadams recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.06x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 46 4.06x
Cumberland 15 18.23x
Surrey 7 1.50x
Glamorgan 5 3.00x
Ayrshire 4 5.59x
Leicestershire 4 3.77x
Cheshire 3 1.42x
Sussex 3 1.86x
Angus 2 2.26x
Durham 2 0.70x
Middlesex 2 0.21x
Warwickshire 2 0.83x
Hampshire 1 0.51x
Midlothian 1 0.78x
Yorkshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 15 Mcadams recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.49x.

Place Total Index
Everton 15 41.49x
St Cuthbert W O 10 249.38x
Toxteth Park 10 26.03x
Camberwell 7 11.46x
Kirkdale 5 26.21x
Swansea Town 5 36.63x
Walton On Hill 5 81.43x
Whitehaven 5 113.90x
Ashby De La Zouch 4 162.60x
Liverpool 4 5.81x
Tarbolton 3 254.24x
Birmingham 2 2.49x
Birtley 2 172.41x
Brighton 2 6.15x
Hackney London 2 3.73x
Kirriemuir 2 91.32x
Manchester 2 3.92x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 82.30x
Ayr 1 29.59x
Blackburn 1 3.31x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.55x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.94x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 84.03x
Leeds 1 1.87x
Liscard 1 26.32x
North Meols 1 9.01x
Oldham 1 2.73x
Portsea 1 2.60x
West Derby 1 3.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 6
Margaret 6
Elizabeth 5
Agnes 3
Elizth. 2
Mary 2
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Christine 1
Dinah 1
Emma 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Margt. 1
Rachael 1
Rachel 1
Sarah 1
Stephanna 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
James 7
George 4
Robert 4
Walter 4
John 3
Thomas 3
Hugh 2
Samuel 2
Alan 1
Alfred 1
Dominic 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Gilbert 1
Henry 1
J. 1
Joseph 1
Londin 1
Patrick 1
Robt.J. 1
Sam 1
W. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Mcadam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcadam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,780 people were recorded with the Mcadam surname. That placed it at #2,435 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcadam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,029 in 2016. That gives Mcadam a modern rank of #2,221.

What does the Mcadam surname mean?

Son of Adam, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.

What does the Mcadam map show?

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