NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcaskill

A Scottish surname derived from an old Gaelic personal name meaning "young warrior".

In the 1881 census there were 478 people recorded with the Mcaskill surname, ranking it #7,000 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 129, ranked #26,270, down from #7,000 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lochs, Bracadale and Duirnish. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Shettleston North and Springburn East and Cowlairs.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcaskill is 663 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 73.0%.

1881 census count

478

Ranked #7,000

Modern count

129

2016, ranked #26,270

Peak year

1901

663 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcaskill had 478 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,000 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016, ranked #26,270.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 663 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcaskill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcaskill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcaskill 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 397 #6,070
1861 historical 320 #7,960
1881 historical 478 #7,000
1891 historical 561 #6,767
1901 historical 663 #6,541
1911 historical 12 #32,302
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 105 #27,001
2001 modern 103 #26,927
2002 modern 106 #26,985
2003 modern 109 #26,361
2004 modern 111 #26,293
2005 modern 112 #26,114
2006 modern 113 #26,267
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 132 #24,929
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 126 #26,585
2014 modern 123 #27,206
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 129 #26,270

Geography

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Where Mcaskills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lochs, Bracadale, Duirnish, South Uist and Small Isles. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Shettleston North, Springburn East and Cowlairs and Thornybank. 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 Lochs Ross And Cromarty
2 Bracadale Inverness
3 Duirnish Inverness
4 South Uist Inverness
5 Small Isles Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 002 Northumberland
3 Shettleston North Glasgow City
4 Springburn East and Cowlairs Glasgow City
5 Thornybank Midlothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcaskill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcaskill

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

European Enclaves

Within London, Mcaskill is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Mcaskill 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

Mcaskill 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 Mcaskill is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcaskill

The surname McAskill is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic "Mac Asggill" which means "son of the farmer" or "son of the husbandman". It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, specifically in the regions of Argyll and the Isles.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century, with mentions in various Scottish parish records and manuscripts. One notable reference is found in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland from 1592, which mentions a John McAskill.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Parish of Kilchoman on the Isle of Islay, where several McAskill families were documented. This suggests that the name had a strong presence in the Hebrides region during this time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Angus McAskill, who was born around 1650 in the Isle of Islay. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to reside in the area for several generations.

Another notable figure was Archibald McAskill, born in 1732 on the Isle of Mull. He was a soldier in the British Army and fought in the American Revolutionary War. Records show that he was captured by American forces in 1777 and later released.

In the 19th century, the name McAskill spread beyond Scotland as many emigrated to other parts of the British Empire and the United States. One such individual was Donald McAskill, born in 1822 in Argyll, Scotland. He later settled in Nova Scotia, Canada, where he worked as a fisherman and farmer.

A prominent individual bearing the name was Sir John McAskill, born in 1865 in the Orkney Islands. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist, contributing significantly to the development of the Orkney Islands and the city of Glasgow, Scotland.

The name McAskill has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McAskill's Bay on the Isle of Islay and McAskill's Croft on the Isle of Mull, further reinforcing its historical roots in the Scottish Hebrides.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcaskill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcaskill 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 1 Mcaskills recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1 8.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkdale in Lancashire leads with 1 Mcaskills recorded in 1881 and an index of 526.32x.

Place Total Index
Kirkdale 1 526.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 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 Mcaskill households.

Occupation Count
General Servant 1

FAQ

Mcaskill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcaskill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 478 people were recorded with the Mcaskill surname. That placed it at #7,000 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcaskill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 129 in 2016. That gives Mcaskill a modern rank of #26,270.

What does the Mcaskill surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from an old Gaelic personal name meaning "young warrior".

What does the Mcaskill map show?

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