NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcalister

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Alasdair," meaning "son of Alasdair" (a form of Alexander).

In the 1881 census there were 1,123 people recorded with the Mcalister surname, ranking it #3,553 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,186, ranked #5,013, down from #3,553 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to South Knapdale, Govan Combination and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bute, Campbeltown and Harthill and Salsburgh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcalister is 1,645 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.6%.

1881 census count

1,123

Ranked #3,553

Modern count

1,186

2016, ranked #5,013

Peak year

1851

1,645 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcalister had 1,123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,553 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,186 in 2016, ranked #5,013.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,645 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcalister surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcalister surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcalister 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 1,645 #1,749
1861 historical 1,401 #2,044
1881 historical 1,123 #3,553
1891 historical 1,138 #3,740
1901 historical 1,003 #4,750
1911 historical 349 #10,282
1997 modern 1,005 #5,480
1998 modern 1,058 #5,411
1999 modern 1,090 #5,327
2000 modern 1,086 #5,321
2001 modern 1,080 #5,251
2002 modern 1,098 #5,283
2003 modern 1,084 #5,242
2004 modern 1,078 #5,280
2005 modern 1,075 #5,236
2006 modern 1,056 #5,311
2007 modern 1,080 #5,260
2008 modern 1,118 #5,155
2009 modern 1,148 #5,147
2010 modern 1,188 #5,091
2011 modern 1,187 #5,035
2012 modern 1,198 #4,923
2013 modern 1,205 #4,963
2014 modern 1,218 #4,952
2015 modern 1,200 #4,973
2016 modern 1,186 #5,013

Geography

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Where Mcalisters are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Bute, Campbeltown, Harthill and Salsburgh, Bath and North East Somerset and South Lakeland. 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 South Knapdale Argyll
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Kilmory Bute
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bute Argyll and Bute
2 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
3 Harthill and Salsburgh North Lanarkshire
4 Bath and North East Somerset 007 Bath and North East Somerset
5 South Lakeland 005 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcalister

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcalister

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

Mcalister 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

Mcalister falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mcalister

The surname McAlister originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Alasdair," meaning "son of Alasdair." Alasdair is the Scottish Gaelic form of the name Alexander, which ultimately derives from the Greek name "Alexandros," meaning "defender of men."

The McAlister surname is associated with the Scottish clan MacAlister, which traces its roots to the Hebrides islands off the western coast of Scotland. The clan's traditional territory was centered on the island of Arran, where they held lands and influenced as early as the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McAlister name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mentions a "Gillascop MacAleister." The name is also found in various other medieval Scottish records, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which includes the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

The McAlister surname has a long and storied history in Scotland, with many notable individuals bearing the name. One of the most prominent was Sir Archibald McAlister, who served as Lord High Treasurer of Scotland in the 15th century. Another notable figure was John McAlister (1790-1869), a Scottish-born businessman who became one of the wealthiest landowners in Australia.

Other historical figures with the McAlister surname include: 1. Angus McAlister (1809-1897), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman. 2. William McAlister (1891-1956), a Scottish footballer who played for Rangers and the Scottish national team. 3. Loughlin McAlister (1777-1853), an Irish-born Catholic priest and educator in the United States. 4. Robert McAlister (1675-1743), a Scottish minister and writer who authored several theological works. 5. Sir John McAlister (1837-1913), a British colonial administrator who served as Lieutenant Governor of Punjab in India.

Over time, the McAlister surname has spread beyond Scotland to various parts of the world, including England, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and the United States, as members of the clan and their descendants migrated and settled in new territories.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcalister families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcalister 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 22 Mcalisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.97x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 22 2.97x
Middlesex 14 2.24x
Northumberland 5 5.38x
Hampshire 4 3.13x
Yorkshire 4 0.65x
Cornwall 3 4.24x
Angus 2 3.46x
Cheshire 1 0.73x
Denbighshire 1 4.24x
Devon 1 0.77x
Essex 1 0.81x
Gloucestershire 1 0.82x
Kent 1 0.47x
Lanarkshire 1 0.50x
Lincolnshire 1 1.00x
Northamptonshire 1 1.70x
Warwickshire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 9 Mcalisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.89x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 9 35.89x
Bow London 7 88.05x
Hackney London 7 20.00x
Barrow In Furness 5 49.60x
Bedlington 5 161.29x
Everton 5 21.18x
Dundee 2 9.26x
Hartley Wintney 2 526.32x
Ince In Makerfield 2 57.97x
Leeds 2 5.73x
Manningham 2 26.25x
St Just In Penwith 2 145.99x
Aldershot 1 23.31x
Capenhurst 1 3333.33x
Colyton 1 200.00x
Glasgow 1 2.79x
Gloucester St Owen 1 769.23x
Llanarmon 1 277.78x
Merevale 1 2500.00x
Muckton 1 5000.00x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 33.44x
Plumstead 1 14.08x
Ryde 1 36.36x
Saltash 1 181.82x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 1 46.95x
West Ham 1 3.68x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mcalister surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcalister surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,123 people were recorded with the Mcalister surname. That placed it at #3,553 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcalister surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,186 in 2016. That gives Mcalister a modern rank of #5,013.

What does the Mcalister surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Alasdair," meaning "son of Alasdair" (a form of Alexander).

What does the Mcalister map show?

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