NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcaleer

A surname of Irish origin, derived from Mac Giolla Íosa, meaning "son of the devotee of Jesus."

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Mcaleer surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 919, ranked #6,208, up from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cleland, Chapelhall West and Easterhouse East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcaleer is 933 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 618.0%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

919

2016, ranked #6,208

Peak year

2014

933 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcaleer had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 919 in 2016, ranked #6,208.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 249 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcaleer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcaleer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcaleer 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 37 #26,673
1861 historical 57 #26,718
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 179 #16,198
1901 historical 249 #13,172
1911 historical 88 #24,041
1997 modern 773 #6,721
1998 modern 810 #6,689
1999 modern 835 #6,572
2000 modern 815 #6,682
2001 modern 807 #6,606
2002 modern 846 #6,480
2003 modern 821 #6,510
2004 modern 829 #6,476
2005 modern 845 #6,334
2006 modern 860 #6,260
2007 modern 879 #6,204
2008 modern 897 #6,145
2009 modern 909 #6,209
2010 modern 929 #6,224
2011 modern 923 #6,204
2012 modern 888 #6,305
2013 modern 914 #6,274
2014 modern 933 #6,218
2015 modern 921 #6,223
2016 modern 919 #6,208

Geography

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Where Mcaleers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cleland, Chapelhall West, Easterhouse East, Johnstone North West and IZ01. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bothwell Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cleland North Lanarkshire
2 Chapelhall West North Lanarkshire
3 Easterhouse East Glasgow City
4 Johnstone North West Renfrewshire
5 IZ01 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcaleer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcaleer

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcaleer 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

Mcaleer 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

Mcaleer 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 Mcaleer 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcaleer

The surname McAleer has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the northern counties of Ulster. It is a variant of the Gaelic name Mac Giolla Adhair, which means "son of the servant of the Air/Atmosphere." The name likely dates back to the 13th or 14th century and is associated with the ancient Irish clan of the same name.

The earliest recorded mention of the McAleer surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this document, the name appears as "Mac Giolla Adhair" in an entry from the year 1337, referring to a member of the clan.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Domnall Mac Giolla Adhair, who lived in the late 14th century and was a prominent member of the clan in County Tyrone. Another notable figure was Brian McAleer, who was born around 1550 in County Derry and was a renowned poet and scholar of the Irish language.

In the 17th century, the McAleer surname is found in various records, including the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest and the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663. These records show the presence of McAleer families in counties such as Tyrone, Derry, and Antrim.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, many McAleer families were displaced from their ancestral lands. Some relocated to other parts of Ireland, while others emigrated to countries like Scotland and England.

One notable individual from this period was Patrick McAleer, who was born in County Tyrone in 1620. He was a soldier in the Irish Confederate Wars and later settled in County Monaghan after the war.

In the 18th century, the McAleer surname continued to be prominent in Ulster, with records showing families living in counties such as Armagh, Down, and Fermanagh. One individual of note was John McAleer, who was born in County Tyrone in 1725 and served as a captain in the Irish Volunteers during the American Revolutionary War.

As Irish immigration to the Americas increased in the 19th century, many McAleers left Ireland for new opportunities. One such individual was Michael McAleer, who was born in County Tyrone in 1820 and later emigrated to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania.

Throughout history, the McAleer surname has been associated with various occupations, including agriculture, military service, and the arts. The name has also been subject to various spelling variations, such as McAlear, McAler, and McAlair, reflecting regional differences in pronunciation and transcription.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcaleer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcaleer 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. Cumberland leads with 2 Mcaleers recorded in 1881 and an index of 79.37x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 2 79.37x
Lancashire 1 2.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Workington in Cumberland leads with 2 Mcaleers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1428.57x.

Place Total Index
Workington 2 1428.57x
Kirkdale 1 172.41x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Hugh 1
Owen 1
Patrick 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 Mcaleer households.

FAQ

Mcaleer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcaleer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Mcaleer surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcaleer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 919 in 2016. That gives Mcaleer a modern rank of #6,208.

What does the Mcaleer surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from Mac Giolla Íosa, meaning "son of the devotee of Jesus."

What does the Mcaleer map show?

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