NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcaleese

Of Irish origin signifying descendant of the servant of the fire.

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Mcaleese surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 719, ranked #7,553, up from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Port Glasgow, Govan Combination and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH, Drumoyne and Shieldhall and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcaleese is 735 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 664.9%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

719

2016, ranked #7,553

Peak year

1999

735 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcaleese had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 719 in 2016, ranked #7,553.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 148 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcaleese surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcaleese surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcaleese 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 8 #31,867
1861 historical 16 #31,832
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 88 #25,677
1901 historical 148 #18,212
1911 historical 34 #29,600
1997 modern 679 #7,419
1998 modern 708 #7,408
1999 modern 735 #7,256
2000 modern 697 #7,520
2001 modern 691 #7,443
2002 modern 715 #7,388
2003 modern 686 #7,505
2004 modern 710 #7,313
2005 modern 698 #7,369
2006 modern 697 #7,378
2007 modern 706 #7,372
2008 modern 717 #7,349
2009 modern 718 #7,499
2010 modern 711 #7,692
2011 modern 702 #7,684
2012 modern 687 #7,704
2013 modern 703 #7,697
2014 modern 718 #7,630
2015 modern 716 #7,591
2016 modern 719 #7,553

Geography

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Where Mcaleeses are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH, Drumoyne and Shieldhall, County Durham, Waveney and Drumchapel North. 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 Port Glasgow Renfrew
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Old Monkland Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH Inverclyde
2 Drumoyne and Shieldhall Glasgow City
3 County Durham 050 County Durham
4 Waveney 007 Waveney
5 Drumchapel North Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcaleese

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcaleese

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

Mcaleese 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcaleese

The surname MCALEESE has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 16th century or earlier. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Mac Giolla Íosa, which translates to "son of the servant of Jesus."

The name is derived from the Irish words "mac," meaning "son of," and "giolla," meaning "servant," combined with the name "Íosa," the Irish form of Jesus. This suggests that the name may have originated from a family or clan with close ties to the Catholic Church or a monastic order.

Historical records show variations in the spelling of the name, including McAleese, McAlees, McAleece, and McAleese. These variations likely stemmed from the transition from the Irish Gaelic language to English and the challenges of transliterating the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I, which mentions a "Gillie McAleese" in County Fermanagh in 1587. The name is also found in the Hearth Money Rolls of the 17th century, which recorded households for taxation purposes.

Notable individuals with the surname MCALEESE include Mary McAleese, an Irish politician who served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was born in 1951 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Another prominent figure is Brian McAleese, a British businessman and former chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. He was born in 1944 in Belfast.

In the world of sports, Shane McAleese was a New Zealand rugby union player who played for the All Blacks in the 1990s. He was born in 1972 in Hastings, New Zealand.

The name has also been associated with academic and literary figures, such as Gavin McAleese, an Irish writer and academic born in 1964 in Belfast.

Historically, the MCALEESE surname has been particularly prevalent in counties Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Armagh in Northern Ireland, as well as in parts of County Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mcaleese surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcaleese surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Mcaleese surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcaleese surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 719 in 2016. That gives Mcaleese a modern rank of #7,553.

What does the Mcaleese surname mean?

Of Irish origin signifying descendant of the servant of the fire.

What does the Mcaleese map show?

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