NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcallen

A Scottish surname meaning "son of Alain" or "son of Allan."

In the 1881 census there were 66 people recorded with the Mcallen surname, ranking it #24,256 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 241, ranked #17,233, up from #24,256 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to South Stoneham, Southampton St Mary and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Kesteven, West Devon and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcallen is 277 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 265.2%.

1881 census count

66

Ranked #24,256

Modern count

241

2016, ranked #17,233

Peak year

2008

277 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcallen had 66 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,256 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016, ranked #17,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 111 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcallen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcallen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcallen 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 30 #27,891
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 66 #24,256
1891 historical 98 #24,313
1901 historical 111 #21,492
1911 historical 96 #23,193
1997 modern 245 #15,483
1998 modern 254 #15,508
1999 modern 258 #15,467
2000 modern 265 #15,143
2001 modern 252 #15,452
2002 modern 272 #14,930
2003 modern 276 #14,604
2004 modern 271 #14,883
2005 modern 275 #14,624
2006 modern 266 #15,076
2007 modern 263 #15,366
2008 modern 277 #14,940
2009 modern 274 #15,395
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 261 #16,145
2012 modern 261 #16,041
2013 modern 259 #16,392
2014 modern 253 #16,774
2015 modern 242 #17,191
2016 modern 241 #17,233

Geography

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Where Mcallens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around South Stoneham, Southampton St Mary, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Sheffield and Southampton All Saints. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Kesteven, West Devon, Southampton, South Norfolk and Swansea. 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 Stoneham Hampshire
2 Southampton St Mary Hampshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Southampton All Saints Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Kesteven 011 South Kesteven
2 West Devon 002 West Devon
3 Southampton 005 Southampton
4 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
5 Swansea 015 Swansea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcallen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcallen

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mcallen is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcallen is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mcallen

The surname McAllen is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Mac Ailein, which means "son of the green warrior". This name can be traced back to the 12th century in the Scottish Highlands.

The earliest recorded instances of the name McAllen can be found in various Scottish clan records and historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which refer to a "Gillandres MacAlen" from Argyll.

In the 16th century, the McAllen family was particularly prominent in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as "McAlaine" or "McAllane". One notable figure was John McAllen of Glengarry, who lived in the late 16th century and was a renowned warrior and chieftain.

The 17th century saw the McAllens involved in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, with several members of the clan fighting for the Royalist cause. A notable example is Sir Archibald McAllen, who was knighted by King Charles I in 1642 for his military service.

In the 18th century, the McAllen name spread to other parts of Scotland and beyond. One prominent individual was Robert McAllen (1744-1828), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia, USA, and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.

Other notable figures with the surname McAllen include:

1. Duncan McAllen (1809-1888), a Scottish-born farmer and rancher who settled in Texas and established the city of McAllen, named after him.

2. John McAllen (1822-1898), a Scottish-born businessman and politician who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament in the late 19th century.

3. Margaret McAllen (1877-1956), a Scottish-born educator and women's rights activist who worked in Canada and the United States.

4. Angus McAllen (1892-1968), a Scottish-born soldier who served in both World Wars and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery.

5. Ian McAllen (1925-2007), a Scottish-born author and journalist who wrote extensively about Scottish history and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcallen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcallen 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. Channel Islands leads with 9 Mcallens recorded in 1881 and an index of 89.02x.

County Total Index
Channel Islands 9 89.02x
Northumberland 9 17.73x
Yorkshire 9 2.66x
Lancashire 4 0.99x
Surrey 3 1.80x
Glamorgan 1 1.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Helier in Channel Islands leads with 9 Mcallens recorded in 1881 and an index of 273.56x.

Place Total Index
St Helier 9 273.56x
Prudhoe 7 2000.00x
Ecclesall Bierlow 6 87.21x
Haslingden 4 238.10x
Battersea 3 23.89x
Brightside Bierlow 3 45.25x
Westgate 2 63.69x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 17.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 3
Charles 2
George 2
Alfred 1
Austin 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
Jas. 1
Philip 1
Robt.P. 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
William 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 Mcallen households.

FAQ

Mcallen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcallen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 66 people were recorded with the Mcallen surname. That placed it at #24,256 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcallen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 241 in 2016. That gives Mcallen a modern rank of #17,233.

What does the Mcallen surname mean?

A Scottish surname meaning "son of Alain" or "son of Allan."

What does the Mcallen map show?

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