NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcbeth

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Bethad," meaning "son of Bethad" or "son of life."

In the 1881 census there were 570 people recorded with the Mcbeth surname, ranking it #6,099 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 661, ranked #8,066, down from #6,099 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Blackford, Govan Combination and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Johnstone South West, Sunderland and Test Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcbeth is 661 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.0%.

1881 census count

570

Ranked #6,099

Modern count

661

2016, ranked #8,066

Peak year

2016

661 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcbeth had 570 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,099 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 661 in 2016, ranked #8,066.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 589 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcbeth surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcbeth surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcbeth 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 305 #7,542
1861 historical 354 #7,224
1881 historical 570 #6,099
1891 historical 549 #6,892
1901 historical 589 #7,164
1911 historical 161 #17,072
1997 modern 600 #8,140
1998 modern 605 #8,343
1999 modern 622 #8,240
2000 modern 617 #8,267
2001 modern 612 #8,164
2002 modern 618 #8,282
2003 modern 586 #8,472
2004 modern 582 #8,530
2005 modern 584 #8,431
2006 modern 581 #8,485
2007 modern 579 #8,585
2008 modern 594 #8,487
2009 modern 616 #8,428
2010 modern 631 #8,449
2011 modern 646 #8,196
2012 modern 627 #8,308
2013 modern 642 #8,295
2014 modern 655 #8,203
2015 modern 660 #8,101
2016 modern 661 #8,066

Geography

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Where Mcbeths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Blackford, Govan Combination, Newcastle All Saints, Edinburgh and Kilmadock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Johnstone South West, Sunderland, Test Valley and Auchterarder. 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 Blackford Perth
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kilmadock Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Johnstone South West Renfrewshire
2 Sunderland 035 Sunderland
3 Test Valley 015 Test Valley
4 Auchterarder Perth and Kinross
5 Sunderland 028 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcbeth

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcbeth

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

Mcbeth is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mcbeth

The surname McBeth is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Beathán," which means "life" or "vigor." This name likely originated from the northern regions of Scotland, such as the Highlands and the Hebrides Islands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McBeth can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, a historical record of royal finances and accounts, dated around the 14th century. The name appears in various spellings, including "McBeath," "McBeith," and "McBeth," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and orthography common during that era.

The McBeth name has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous bearers of this surname is William McBeth (1789-1862), a Scottish poet and writer who gained recognition for his works celebrating the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and its people.

Another prominent individual with the McBeth surname was John McBeth (1825-1901), a Scottish-born American educator and writer. He served as the president of the University of Arkansas and authored several works on education and philosophy.

In the realm of sports, James McBeth (1873-1943) was a Scottish professional golfer who won multiple prestigious tournaments, including the British Open in 1904. His accomplishments contributed to the growing popularity of golf in the early 20th century.

The McBeth name has also been linked to various Scottish place names, such as Bethune, a town in Fife, and Beith, a town in North Ayrshire. These place names likely share a common Gaelic root with the surname, reflecting the geographic origins of the McBeth lineage.

One notable historical reference to the McBeth name comes from the famous play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare. While the play's title character is spelled differently, some scholars suggest that Shakespeare may have drawn inspiration from the Scottish surname McBeth or its variants when crafting the tragic character's name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcbeth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcbeth 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 5 Mcbeths recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.32x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5 3.32x
Middlesex 5 3.94x
Berkshire 1 10.50x
Glamorgan 1 4.53x
Midlothian 1 5.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 5 Mcbeths recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.68x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 5 40.68x
Salford 3 67.87x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 168.07x
Aberdare 1 65.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 14.64x
Reading St Mary 1 131.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Louie 2
Annie 1
Emma 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 3
Arthur 1
James 1
John 1
Robert 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 Mcbeth households.

FAQ

Mcbeth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcbeth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 570 people were recorded with the Mcbeth surname. That placed it at #6,099 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcbeth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 661 in 2016. That gives Mcbeth a modern rank of #8,066.

What does the Mcbeth surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Bethad," meaning "son of Bethad" or "son of life."

What does the Mcbeth map show?

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