UK surname
An Anglicized form of the Old Irish Mac Cáin meaning "son of Cáin".
In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Mcann surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 43, ranked #35,285, down from #21,334 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Kilbirnie, New Monkland and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcann is 118 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 50.6%.
1881 census count
87
Ranked #21,334
Modern count
43
2016, ranked #35,285
Peak year
1891
118 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Mcann surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Mcann surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 84 | #19,067 |
| 1861 | historical | 111 | #19,429 |
| 1881 | historical | 87 | #21,334 |
| 1891 | historical | 118 | #21,540 |
| 1901 | historical | 78 | #25,500 |
| 1911 | historical | 44 | #28,454 |
| 1997 | modern | 36 | #34,071 |
| 1998 | modern | 43 | #33,557 |
| 1999 | modern | 43 | #33,683 |
| 2000 | modern | 31 | #34,798 |
| 2001 | modern | 28 | #34,936 |
| 2002 | modern | 24 | #35,520 |
| 2003 | modern | 34 | #34,681 |
| 2004 | modern | 35 | #34,783 |
| 2005 | modern | 33 | #35,119 |
| 2006 | modern | 34 | #35,255 |
| 2007 | modern | 33 | #35,461 |
| 2008 | modern | 40 | #35,137 |
| 2009 | modern | 47 | #34,856 |
| 2010 | modern | 42 | #35,294 |
| 2011 | modern | 41 | #35,340 |
| 2012 | modern | 39 | #35,415 |
| 2013 | modern | 41 | #35,384 |
| 2014 | modern | 40 | #35,454 |
| 2015 | modern | 39 | #35,472 |
| 2016 | modern | 43 | #35,285 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Kilbirnie, New Monkland, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilbirnie | Ayr |
| 2 | New Monkland | Lanark |
| 3 | Govan Combination | Lanark |
| 4 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 5 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Mcann surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcann, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Mcann surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Mcann household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Mcann is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcann is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcann, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname McAnn has its origins in Ireland and is a variation of the Gaelic name Mac Anaidh, which means "son of Anaidh". Anaidh was a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "ánaitte", meaning "solitary" or "hermit".
The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with some of the earliest recorded instances appearing in the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of the Four Masters, which were chronicles of medieval Irish history. The surname was particularly prevalent in County Antrim and County Down in the northern part of Ireland.
One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Gilchrist McAnn, who was mentioned in a charter from the Abbey of Newry in County Down in the year 1245. Another early record is of John McAnn, who was a tenant of the Earl of Ulster in County Antrim in the late 13th century.
During the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century, when many Scottish settlers arrived in Ireland, the name was often anglicized to its current spelling of McAnn. Some variants of the surname that appeared in historical records include MacAnn, MacAnne, and McAnne.
One notable individual with this surname was Sir Robert McAnn (1665-1729), an Irish landowner and member of the Irish Parliament for County Antrim in the early 18th century. Another was John McAnn (1739-1816), an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania.
Other historical figures with the McAnn surname include William McAnn (1801-1876), an Irish-born businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Buffalo, New York, in the mid-19th century, and Thomas McAnn (1854-1931), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with this surname was Joseph McAnn (1905-1981), an Irish-American actor and comedian who appeared in numerous films and television shows during the mid-20th century, including several episodes of the popular sitcom "The Honeymooners".
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcann surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 6 Mcanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.73x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Durham | 6 | 20.73x |
| Monmouthshire | 4 | 56.90x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heworth in Durham leads with 6 Mcanns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1052.63x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Heworth | 6 | 1052.63x |
| Llanwenarth Ultra | 4 | 8000.00x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mcann surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mcann surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Mcann households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 3 |
| Coal Miner | 2 |
| Chemical Labourer | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| General Servant Unemployed | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Mcann surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 43 in 2016. That gives Mcann a modern rank of #35,285.
An Anglicized form of the Old Irish Mac Cáin meaning "son of Cáin".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcann bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.