NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcarthur

Son of Arthur, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.

In the 1881 census there were 6,092 people recorded with the Mcarthur surname, ranking it #719 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,094, ranked #1,110, down from #719 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lochs, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carntyne West and Haghill, Campbeltown and Drumoyne and Shieldhall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcarthur is 6,665 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.0%.

1881 census count

6,092

Ranked #719

Modern count

6,094

2016, ranked #1,110

Peak year

1901

6,665 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcarthur had 6,092 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #719 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,094 in 2016, ranked #1,110.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,665 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mcarthur surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcarthur surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcarthur 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 4,778 #583
1861 historical 4,918 #573
1881 historical 6,092 #719
1891 historical 6,315 #734
1901 historical 6,665 #829
1911 historical 926 #4,841
1997 modern 5,595 #1,162
1998 modern 5,659 #1,194
1999 modern 5,706 #1,202
2000 modern 5,723 #1,182
2001 modern 5,584 #1,190
2002 modern 5,781 #1,172
2003 modern 5,613 #1,171
2004 modern 5,615 #1,167
2005 modern 5,613 #1,152
2006 modern 5,647 #1,148
2007 modern 5,703 #1,150
2008 modern 5,793 #1,139
2009 modern 5,893 #1,142
2010 modern 6,025 #1,146
2011 modern 5,967 #1,142
2012 modern 5,882 #1,133
2013 modern 5,958 #1,139
2014 modern 6,059 #1,129
2015 modern 6,051 #1,121
2016 modern 6,094 #1,110

Geography

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Where Mcarthurs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lochs, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Tiree and Coll and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carntyne West and Haghill, Campbeltown, Drumoyne and Shieldhall, Rothesay Town and Govan and Linthouse. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lochs Ross And Cromarty
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Tiree and Coll Argyll
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City
2 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
3 Drumoyne and Shieldhall Glasgow City
4 Rothesay Town Argyll and Bute
5 Govan and Linthouse Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcarthur

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcarthur

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mcarthur surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mcarthur household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcarthur 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

Mcarthur 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

Mcarthur 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 Mcarthur is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcarthur, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcarthur

The surname McArthur is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Artair" and the patronymic prefix "Mac" meaning "son of". The name ultimately traces its roots to the ancient Greek name "Arthuros", which was Latinized as "Artorius" and later evolved into the name Arthur.

The McArthur name first appeared in the historical records of the 12th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being a Gillecrist MacArthur who witnessed a charter by King William the Lion of Scotland in 1179. The name was particularly prevalent in the region of Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the McArthur clan played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, with several members of the clan being recorded as supporters of Robert the Bruce. One notable McArthur was John MacArthur, who fought alongside Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

In the 16th century, the McArthurs were involved in various clan conflicts and feuds with neighboring clans such as the Campbells and the MacDonalds. One of the most prominent members of the clan during this period was Sir John McArthur, who served as the Chamberlain of Argyll in the early 1500s.

Over the centuries, the McArthur name has been spelled in various ways, including MacArthur, McArther, and MacArter. The name has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Artur and Arthuret, which may have influenced its spelling and pronunciation.

Among the notable individuals who have borne the McArthur surname throughout history are:

1. John McArthur (1755-1840), a Scottish navigator and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Pacific Ocean. 2. Sir William McArthur (1809-1887), a British army officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857. 3. John McArthur (1826-1906), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Winnipeg. 4. Charles McArthur (1895-1956), an American playwright and screenwriter best known for his work on the classic film "Gone with the Wind". 5. Douglas McArthur (1880-1964), an American five-star general who commanded the Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcarthur families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcarthur 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. Yorkshire leads with 23 Mcarthurs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.29x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 23 2.29x
Lancashire 16 1.33x
Middlesex 11 1.08x
Renfrewshire 7 8.91x
Cumberland 6 6.87x
Sussex 6 3.51x
Shropshire 5 5.71x
Staffordshire 5 1.46x
Surrey 5 1.01x
Devon 3 1.42x
Hampshire 3 1.44x
Lanarkshire 3 0.91x
Cambridgeshire 2 3.11x
Northumberland 2 1.33x
Ayrshire 1 1.32x
Durham 1 0.33x
Hertfordshire 1 1.43x
Kent 1 0.29x
Midlothian 1 0.74x
Northamptonshire 1 1.05x
Royal Navy 1 8.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holbeck in Yorkshire leads with 7 Mcarthurs recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.11x.

Place Total Index
Holbeck 7 105.11x
Kirkdale 7 34.57x
West Greenock 7 49.61x
Whitehaven 6 129.03x
Harborne 5 45.58x
Hodnet 5 735.29x
Horton In Bradford 5 31.85x
Lambeth 5 5.65x
Ilkley 4 243.90x
Subdeanery 4 307.69x
Everton 3 7.82x
Govan 3 3.70x
Islington London 3 3.05x
Kensington London 3 5.32x
Liverpool 3 4.10x
Liversedge 3 67.11x
Portsea 2 4.91x
Sidmouth 2 165.29x
St Martin In Fields 2 32.95x
St Marythe Less 2 512.82x
Acomb 1 188.68x
Alnwick 1 38.61x
Alverstoke 1 13.28x
Ayr 1 27.93x
Blackburn 1 3.12x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 10.46x
Bromley London 1 4.48x
Bushey 1 60.24x
Catsfield 1 400.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 1.83x
Erith 1 29.33x
Eston 1 45.66x
Falsgrave 1 67.57x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 27.40x
Long Buckby 1 113.64x
Lundy Island 1 1666.67x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 12.79x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 22.78x
St George In East London 1 10.48x
Stranton 1 9.84x
West Derby 1 2.84x
Whitby 1 29.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 5
Annie 3
Mary 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Ann 2
Eleanor 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Isabella 2
(Miss) 1
Ada 1
Barbara 1
Betsey 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Janet 1
Jeanette 1
Jessie 1
Kate 1
Margarett 1
Margt. 1
Thomas 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mcarthur surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcarthur surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,092 people were recorded with the Mcarthur surname. That placed it at #719 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcarthur surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,094 in 2016. That gives Mcarthur a modern rank of #1,110.

What does the Mcarthur surname mean?

Son of Arthur, a patronymic surname of Scottish and Irish origin.

What does the Mcarthur map show?

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