NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcbride

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of Bride" or "descendant of Bride," referring to Saint Brigid of Kildare.

In the 1881 census there were 3,518 people recorded with the Mcbride surname, ranking it #1,293 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,359, ranked #693, up from #1,293 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilbride, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Toryglen and Oatlands, Glenwood South and Cumnock South and Craigens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcbride is 9,415 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 166.0%.

1881 census count

3,518

Ranked #1,293

Modern count

9,359

2016, ranked #693

Peak year

2010

9,415 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcbride had 3,518 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,293 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,359 in 2016, ranked #693.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,557 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcbride surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcbride surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcbride 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 2,096 #1,387
1861 historical 2,220 #1,328
1881 historical 3,518 #1,293
1891 historical 3,684 #1,298
1901 historical 4,557 #1,250
1911 historical 1,556 #3,115
1997 modern 8,345 #763
1998 modern 8,647 #765
1999 modern 8,773 #760
2000 modern 8,715 #760
2001 modern 8,632 #747
2002 modern 8,824 #744
2003 modern 8,659 #743
2004 modern 8,672 #747
2005 modern 8,688 #734
2006 modern 8,753 #727
2007 modern 8,868 #721
2008 modern 8,960 #717
2009 modern 9,176 #716
2010 modern 9,415 #716
2011 modern 9,297 #714
2012 modern 9,200 #706
2013 modern 9,287 #708
2014 modern 9,415 #706
2015 modern 9,323 #704
2016 modern 9,359 #693

Geography

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Where Mcbrides are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Toryglen and Oatlands, Glenwood South, Cumnock South and Craigens, Crookston South and IZ12. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kilbride Bute
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
2 Glenwood South Glasgow City
3 Cumnock South and Craigens East Ayrshire
4 Crookston South Glasgow City
5 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcbride

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcbride

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mcbride is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcbride 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

Mcbride 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 Mcbride 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcbride

The surname McBride originated in Scotland, deriving from the Gaelic personal name Brian, which means "eminence" or "high" and the prefix "Mc" meaning "son of." It is a patronymic name, indicating the bearer was the son of a man named Brian.

In the early 13th century, the name appeared in records as MacBrydyn and MacBradyn, reflecting the Gaelic pronunciation. By the 15th century, the spelling had evolved to McBryde and McBryd in the Lowlands of Scotland.

The McBride surname is found in various historical Scottish records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1369, which mention John McBryde. The Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England, include the names Gillecryst MacBryd and Patric MacBrid.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Sir David McBryde, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Sir William Wallace in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th century.

Another notable McBride was John McBride, a Scottish politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1715 to 1717. He played a significant role in the city's governance during a turbulent period following the Jacobite Rising of 1715.

In the 17th century, the McBride name appeared in Ulster, Northern Ireland, as a result of the Plantation of Ulster, when Scottish settlers migrated to the region. One of the earliest recorded McBrides in Ireland was Archibald McBride, born around 1630, who settled in County Down.

A famous bearer of the McBride name was Jeremiah McBride (1745-1809), an American pioneer and Revolutionary War soldier. He was one of the founders of the town of McBride, Missouri, which was named after him.

Another notable McBride was Andrew McBride (1818-1882), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and played a role in the Red River Resistance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcbride families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcbride 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 94 Mcbrides recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.58x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 94 3.58x
Middlesex 17 0.77x
Yorkshire 13 0.59x
Cumberland 12 6.29x
Northumberland 12 3.64x
Durham 11 1.67x
Flintshire 11 18.48x
Ayrshire 9 5.43x
Cheshire 8 1.64x
Lincolnshire 6 1.69x
Surrey 6 0.56x
Hampshire 4 0.88x
Kent 4 0.53x
Glamorgan 3 0.78x
Lanarkshire 3 0.42x
Carmarthenshire 2 2.14x
Channel Islands 2 3.05x
Devon 2 0.43x
Royal Navy 2 7.58x
Warwickshire 2 0.36x
Gloucestershire 1 0.23x
Hertfordshire 1 0.66x
Isle of Man 1 2.43x
Renfrewshire 1 0.58x

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 24 Mcbrides recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.04x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 24 15.04x
Toxteth Park 18 20.23x
Everton 11 13.14x
Bishopwearmouth 9 15.92x
Hawarden Saltney 9 1084.34x
Hulme 9 16.41x
Monks Coppenhall 8 43.38x
St Cuthbert W O 8 86.11x
Dalton In Furness 7 69.03x
Girvan 6 144.23x
Kirkdale 6 13.57x
Leeds 6 4.84x
Longbenton 6 43.01x
West Derby 6 7.81x
Wrangle 6 681.82x
St Luke London 5 14.08x
Clifford Cum Boston 4 203.05x
Elswick 4 15.21x
Stoke Newington London 4 23.19x
Gillingham 3 19.27x
Gorton 3 12.15x
Battersea 2 2.45x
Birmingham 2 1.07x
Christchurch 2 20.33x
Clerkenwell London 2 3.83x
Govan 2 1.13x
Llanarthney 2 141.84x
Newton 2 9.88x
Pendlebury 2 36.04x
St George In East 2 13.28x
St Saviour 2 55.10x
Thirsk 2 79.05x
Walton On Hill 2 14.05x
Above Derwent 1 140.85x
Aldershot 1 6.58x
Ayr 1 12.79x
Barnes 1 21.93x
Barony 1 0.55x
Bromley London 1 2.05x
Caldewgate 1 9.58x
Camberwell 1 0.71x
Cardiff St Mary 1 4.71x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 12.69x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.40x
Cirencester 1 17.01x
Clapham 1 3.61x
Dalry 1 12.82x
East Barnet 1 33.00x
German Peel 1 42.19x
Hawarden 1 21.37x
Irvine 1 21.74x
Kensington London 1 0.81x
Lambeth 1 0.52x
Mold 1 18.52x
Moresby 1 136.99x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 23.09x
North Meols 1 3.89x
Orton 1 294.12x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.82x
Portsea 1 1.12x
Roath 1 5.71x
Royal Navy 1 4.43x
Rusholme 1 14.27x
St Benet Fink London 1 1000.00x
St Martin In Fields 1 7.54x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.15x
Swansea Town 1 3.16x
Tanfield 1 12.77x
Tormoham 1 5.13x
Tynemouth 1 5.67x
West Greenock 1 3.25x
Withington 1 11.82x
York St Mary Castlegate 1 156.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Elizabeth 11
Margaret 9
Catherine 8
Jane 6
Ellen 4
Janet 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Clara 3
Emily 3
Anne 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Annie 1
Bridget 1
Charlotte 1
Christana 1
Christina 1
Dora 1
Edith 1
Elizaboth 1
Ellenor 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Julie 1
Kate 1
Kathleen 1
Lettie 1
Lizzie 1
Margt. 1
Margt.Ann 1
Margt.Canning 1
Marie 1
Maud 1
Nelly 1
Robina 1
Rosebella 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
James 14
William 11
Thomas 8
Edward 7
Patrick 5
Henry 4
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Daniel 2
George 2
Joseph 2
Owen 2
Robert 2
A.H. 1
Anthony 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
David 1
Edwin 1
H.M. 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Neal 1
Pat 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Mcbride surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcbride surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,518 people were recorded with the Mcbride surname. That placed it at #1,293 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcbride surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,359 in 2016. That gives Mcbride a modern rank of #693.

What does the Mcbride surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of Bride" or "descendant of Bride," referring to Saint Brigid of Kildare.

What does the Mcbride map show?

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