NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcardle

An Irish occupational surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ardghail," meaning "son of the high valour."

In the 1881 census there were 893 people recorded with the Mcardle surname, ranking it #4,264 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,492, ranked #1,940, up from #4,264 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Toxteth Park and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Newmains and Forth, Braehead and Auchengray.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcardle is 3,607 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 291.0%.

1881 census count

893

Ranked #4,264

Modern count

3,492

2016, ranked #1,940

Peak year

2010

3,607 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcardle had 893 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,264 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,492 in 2016, ranked #1,940.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,390 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcardle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcardle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcardle 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 308 #7,478
1861 historical 389 #6,580
1881 historical 893 #4,264
1891 historical 1,026 #4,063
1901 historical 1,390 #3,618
1911 historical 1,122 #4,143
1997 modern 3,058 #2,100
1998 modern 3,274 #2,046
1999 modern 3,348 #2,023
2000 modern 3,306 #2,034
2001 modern 3,247 #2,028
2002 modern 3,356 #2,017
2003 modern 3,266 #2,025
2004 modern 3,301 #1,999
2005 modern 3,283 #1,985
2006 modern 3,336 #1,959
2007 modern 3,416 #1,920
2008 modern 3,450 #1,923
2009 modern 3,518 #1,936
2010 modern 3,607 #1,931
2011 modern 3,530 #1,946
2012 modern 3,404 #1,974
2013 modern 3,461 #1,983
2014 modern 3,491 #1,980
2015 modern 3,473 #1,963
2016 modern 3,492 #1,940

Geography

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Where Mcardles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Toxteth Park, Gateshead, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Newmains, Forth, Braehead and Auchengray, Knowsley and Liverpool. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 010 County Durham
2 Newmains North Lanarkshire
3 Forth, Braehead and Auchengray South Lanarkshire
4 Knowsley 001 Knowsley
5 Liverpool 005 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcardle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcardle

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

Mcardle is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcardle falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mcardle

The surname McArdle originated in Ireland, with the earliest recorded examples appearing in the late 16th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic surname Mac Ardghail, which means "son of Ardghal." Ardghal is an old Irish personal name derived from the elements "ard" meaning "high" and "ghal" meaning "valor" or "bravery."

The McArdle name was most prevalent in County Tyrone, particularly in the baronies of Omagh and Clogher. It is believed that the family descended from the ancient Irish clan of Cenél nEógain, which ruled much of Ulster and parts of Connacht during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, which were administrative records kept by the English government in Ireland. In 1586, a John McArdell is mentioned as receiving a pardon from the Crown.

The McArdle name also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a notable McArdle family member, Fearghal Mac Ardghail, who was described as a learned historian and poet in the late 16th century.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, many McArdle families were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate to other parts of Ireland or seek opportunities overseas. This led to the spread of the name beyond its traditional stronghold in Tyrone.

Notable individuals with the surname McArdle include:

1. John McArdle (1836-1918), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the McArdle Cement Company in Chicago.

2. Sir John McArdle (1889-1974), a British lawyer and judge who served as Lord Justice of Appeal and was knighted in 1952.

3. Patrick McArdle (1952-2018), an Irish actor best known for his roles in films such as "The Boxer" and "In Bruges."

4. Richard McArdle (1907-1975), an American journalist and author who wrote extensively about organized crime and the Mafia.

5. Thomas McArdle (1835-1908), an Irish-American Civil War veteran and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

The McArdle surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including McArdell, McArdill, McArdel, and McArdill. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or regional pronunciations of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcardle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcardle 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 85 Mcardles recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.21x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 85 5.21x
Yorkshire 19 1.39x
Surrey 13 1.94x
Durham 10 2.44x
Cheshire 6 1.98x
Middlesex 4 0.29x
Cumberland 2 1.69x
Isle of Man 1 3.92x
Northumberland 1 0.49x

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 36 Mcardles recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.32x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 36 36.32x
West Derby 21 43.98x
Battersea 7 13.83x
Eston 7 235.69x
Bishopwearmouth 6 17.08x
Everton 6 11.53x
Middlesbrough 6 33.80x
Ormskirk 6 192.31x
Southwark St John 6 142.52x
Manchester 5 6.81x
Kirkdale 4 14.57x
Chester St John Baptist 3 54.95x
Doncaster 3 30.12x
Islington London 3 2.25x
Toxteth Park 3 5.43x
Chester St Oswald 2 36.36x
Oldham 2 3.80x
Whitehaven 2 31.70x
Birkenhead 1 4.13x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 7.72x
Bradfield 1 19.05x
Brandon Byshottles 1 19.49x
Halifax 1 5.00x
Heworth 1 12.41x
Hutton Magna 1 1111.11x
North Meols 1 6.26x
Onchan 1 13.59x
Seaton Delaval 1 55.56x
Shoreditch London 1 1.68x
Tanfield 1 20.53x
Westoe 1 4.31x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Mcardle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcardle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 893 people were recorded with the Mcardle surname. That placed it at #4,264 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcardle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,492 in 2016. That gives Mcardle a modern rank of #1,940.

What does the Mcardle surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ardghail," meaning "son of the high valour."

What does the Mcardle map show?

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