NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcanally

Of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Fhailghigh," meaning "son of the poor man."

In the 1881 census there were 191 people recorded with the Mcanally surname, ranking it #13,224 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 190, ranked #20,262, down from #13,224 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Newcastle All Saints and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road, Powys and Ayr South Harbour and Town Centre.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcanally is 208 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.5%.

1881 census count

191

Ranked #13,224

Modern count

190

2016, ranked #20,262

Peak year

1861

208 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcanally had 191 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,224 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 190 in 2016, ranked #20,262.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 208 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcanally surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcanally surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcanally 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 194 #10,662
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 191 #13,224
1891 historical 164 #17,205
1901 historical 150 #18,075
1911 historical 50 #27,806
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 167 #20,258
1999 modern 179 #19,539
2000 modern 178 #19,570
2001 modern 171 #19,770
2002 modern 173 #20,043
2003 modern 178 #19,489
2004 modern 178 #19,603
2005 modern 180 #19,395
2006 modern 179 #19,592
2007 modern 177 #19,965
2008 modern 179 #20,015
2009 modern 187 #19,868
2010 modern 191 #20,015
2011 modern 193 #19,729
2012 modern 182 #20,440
2013 modern 180 #20,954
2014 modern 191 #20,302
2015 modern 187 #20,502
2016 modern 190 #20,262

Geography

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Where Mcanallys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Newcastle All Saints, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Lambeth and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road, Powys, Ayr South Harbour and Town Centre, Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central and Ashford. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road Inverclyde
2 Powys 017 Powys
3 Ayr South Harbour and Town Centre South Ayrshire
4 Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central Inverclyde
5 Ashford 006 Ashford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcanally

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcanally

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mcanally is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcanally 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcanally

The surname McAnally is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic name "Mac an Allaidh", which means "son of the hospitable one". The name is believed to have first appeared in the 12th century in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire.

The name is derived from the Gaelic word "allaidh", meaning "hospitable" or "generous". This suggests that the original bearer of the name was known for their hospitality and generosity towards others. The prefix "Mac" is a common Scottish patronymic, meaning "son of".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a collection of homage pledges made to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. In these rolls, the name appears as "MacAnalye".

In the 16th century, the McAnallys were a prominent family in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the area of Lochaber. One notable member of the family was John McAnally, who fought alongside the Earl of Argyll against the forces of King James IV at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

Another notable McAnally was Robert McAnally, a Scottish poet and writer who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Lays of the Gael", which celebrated the traditions and culture of the Scottish Highlands.

In the 18th century, the McAnally name spread beyond Scotland as many members of the clan emigrated to Ireland and the United States. One notable McAnally from this period was William McAnally, an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, James McAnally was a prominent Scottish artist and painter, known for his landscapes and portraits of Highland life. He was born in 1835 and died in 1910.

Another notable McAnally from this period was John McAnally, an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1887, representing the state of Illinois.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcanally families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcanally 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. Surrey leads with 12 Mcanallys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.03x.

County Total Index
Surrey 12 12.03x
Cumberland 3 17.02x
Durham 3 4.92x
Middlesex 3 1.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 6 Mcanallys recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.59x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 6 33.59x
Croydon 3 54.15x
Penge 3 229.01x
Westminster St 3 400.00x
Whitehaven 3 319.15x
Darlington 1 42.55x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 37.88x
South Shields 1 185.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 1
Anne 1
Elizabeth 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Gertrude 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Maud 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 2
Algernon 1
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Arthur 1
James 1
John 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Thomas 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 Mcanally households.

FAQ

Mcanally surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcanally surname in 1881?

In 1881, 191 people were recorded with the Mcanally surname. That placed it at #13,224 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcanally surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 190 in 2016. That gives Mcanally a modern rank of #20,262.

What does the Mcanally surname mean?

Of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac an Fhailghigh," meaning "son of the poor man."

What does the Mcanally map show?

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