NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcalpin

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the former kingdom of Dál Riata, located in modern-day Argyll and Bute.

In the 1881 census there were 189 people recorded with the Mcalpin surname, ranking it #13,322 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, down from #13,322 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Mary, Killin and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Havering, Croydon and Marchmont West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcalpin is 516 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.7%.

1881 census count

189

Ranked #13,322

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

1851

516 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcalpin had 189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,322 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 516 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Mcalpin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcalpin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcalpin 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 516 #4,849
1861 historical 357 #7,155
1881 historical 189 #13,322
1891 historical 178 #16,264
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 48 #28,006
1997 modern 134 #22,608
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 136 #23,186
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 130 #23,457
2002 modern 126 #24,393
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 122 #24,812
2005 modern 117 #25,433
2006 modern 117 #25,695
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 113 #26,920
2009 modern 117 #26,927
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 115 #27,717
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 116 #28,151
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

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Where Mcalpins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Mary, Killin, Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Havering, Croydon, Marchmont West, Kensington and Chelsea and Peterborough. 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 St Mary Pembrokeshire
2 Killin Perth
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Havering 024 Havering
2 Croydon 006 Croydon
3 Marchmont West City of Edinburgh
4 Kensington and Chelsea 021 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Peterborough 006 Peterborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcalpin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcalpin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcalpin, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Mcalpin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Mcalpin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mcalpin 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

Mcalpin is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcalpin falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mcalpin

The surname McAlpin originated in Scotland in the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son of' and 'Alpin', which refers to a personal name. The earliest known bearer of the name was Alpin, the father of Kenneth MacAlpin, who became the first king of the united Scots and Picts in the 9th century.

The McAlpin name is closely associated with the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada, located in what is now Argyll and Bute. This region was once ruled by the Cenél Loairn, a kindred descended from Loarn, the son of Eirc, who was a prominent leader in the 5th century. The McAlpins were part of this kindred and held significant influence in the area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McAlpin name appears in the 13th century Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage papers submitted to King Edward I of England. In this document, several individuals with the name McAlpin are listed as landowners in the Scottish counties of Argyll and Perthshire.

Over the centuries, the McAlpin name has been spelled in various ways, including MacAlpin, McAlpine, and McAlpyn. The name has also been associated with several notable historical figures, such as Somerled of Argyll (c. 1100-1164), a powerful Scottish king and lord who was a descendant of the McAlpin line.

Another prominent McAlpin was Archibald McAlpine (1791-1858), a Scottish civil engineer and contractor who founded the construction company Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons. His company was responsible for building many iconic structures, including the Forth Bridge and parts of the London Underground.

Sir Edwin Armine Woodhouse-Radcliffe McAlpine (1856-1944) was a British businessman and Conservative politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Dewsbury constituency from 1910 to 1918. He was also the chairman of Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons from 1894 to 1934.

Sir Robert McAlpine (1868-1934) was a Scottish civil engineer and businessman who succeeded his father, Sir Robert McAlpine, as the chairman of Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons. He oversaw the construction of numerous notable projects, including the Tyne Bridge and the Manchester Ship Canal.

Alistair McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of West Green (1942-2014), was a British businessman, politician, and life peer. He was a prominent figure in the Conservative Party and served as a party treasurer from 1975 to 1990.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcalpin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcalpin 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. Middlesex leads with 9 Mcalpins recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.62x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 9 4.62x
Lancashire 8 3.46x
Sussex 3 9.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 6 Mcalpins recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.74x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 6 42.74x
St Pancras London 6 38.27x
Chelsea London 3 51.11x
Hove 3 208.33x
West Derby 2 29.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 2
Mary 2
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Julia 1
Maria 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Kenneth 2
Henry 1
Michael 1
Robert 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 Mcalpin households.

FAQ

Mcalpin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcalpin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 189 people were recorded with the Mcalpin surname. That placed it at #13,322 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcalpin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Mcalpin a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Mcalpin surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the former kingdom of Dál Riata, located in modern-day Argyll and Bute.

What does the Mcalpin map show?

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