NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccabe

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cába," meaning "son of Cába" (a personal name of unknown meaning).

In the 1881 census there were 3,785 people recorded with the Mccabe surname, ranking it #1,210 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 10,745, ranked #604, up from #1,210 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Whitfield and Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccabe is 10,924 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 183.9%.

1881 census count

3,785

Ranked #1,210

Modern count

10,745

2016, ranked #604

Peak year

2010

10,924 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccabe had 3,785 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,210 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 10,745 in 2016, ranked #604.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,682 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccabe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccabe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccabe 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 1,511 #1,896
1861 historical 1,975 #1,477
1881 historical 3,785 #1,210
1891 historical 3,933 #1,221
1901 historical 4,682 #1,207
1911 historical 2,723 #1,901
1997 modern 9,716 #639
1998 modern 10,030 #642
1999 modern 10,166 #639
2000 modern 10,123 #639
2001 modern 9,935 #636
2002 modern 10,234 #632
2003 modern 9,949 #637
2004 modern 9,955 #635
2005 modern 9,987 #621
2006 modern 10,084 #616
2007 modern 10,266 #615
2008 modern 10,367 #612
2009 modern 10,686 #607
2010 modern 10,924 #605
2011 modern 10,735 #605
2012 modern 10,549 #608
2013 modern 10,729 #608
2014 modern 10,842 #605
2015 modern 10,809 #601
2016 modern 10,745 #604

Geography

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Where Mccabes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Whitfield, Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun, Middlesbrough and Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 002 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Whitfield Dundee City
3 Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun West Lothian
4 Middlesbrough 007 Middlesbrough
5 Douglas, Coalburn and Rigside South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccabe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccabe

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

Mccabe 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

Mccabe 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 Mccabe 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mccabe

The surname McCabe originates from Ireland, specifically the northern province of Ulster. It is an Anglicized form of the Old Irish Gaelic name Mac Caba, which means "son of Caba." The name Caba is thought to derive from the Gaelic word cab, meaning "mouth" or "revered one."

McCabe is a variant spelling of the Irish surname MacCabe, which was first found in County Cavan, where the family was part of the Ui Briuin Breifne, a powerful dynasty that ruled much of northwestern Ireland during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded example of the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, which mention a Gilla na Naem MacCaba who died in 1212.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McCabe family held significant territories in County Cavan and neighboring areas. They were known as a powerful sept (clan) and were frequently involved in conflicts with neighboring clans and the English authorities. In 1591, Sir Brian McCabe of Cavan was among the Irish chieftains who attended the Parliament summoned by Sir John Perrot, Lord Deputy of Ireland.

The surname also appears in historical records related to the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and the Williamite War in Ireland (1689-1691), during which many McCabes fought for the Catholic Jacobite cause against the Protestant forces of William of Orange.

Notable individuals with the surname McCabe include:

1. William Bernard McCabe (1801-1891), an Irish-born prelate who served as the second Bishop of Dublin in the Roman Catholic Church.

2. James Dabney McCabe (1842-1920), an American lawyer, journalist, and historian who wrote extensively about the American Civil War.

3. Edward Payson McCabe (1850-1920), an American evangelist and temperance leader known as the "Apostle of the Prohibitionists."

4. Lida Rose McCabe (1846-1935), an American writer and lecturer who was one of the first female dramatic critics in the United States.

5. Charles Cardwell McCabe (1836-1906), an American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

The surname McCabe has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as McCabe's Parish in County Cavan, which was named after the prominent McCabe family that held lands in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccabe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccabe 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 151 Mccabes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.45x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 151 4.45x
Yorkshire 46 1.62x
Middlesex 17 0.59x
Cumberland 16 6.50x
Durham 11 1.29x
Northumberland 10 2.35x
Cheshire 7 1.11x
Lanarkshire 6 0.65x
Suffolk 6 1.72x
Surrey 4 0.29x
Devon 3 0.50x
Essex 3 0.53x
Hampshire 3 0.51x
Kent 2 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.52x
Brecknockshire 1 1.75x
Denbighshire 1 0.93x
Royal Navy 1 2.94x
Staffordshire 1 0.10x
Sussex 1 0.21x
Worcestershire 1 0.27x

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 51 Mccabes recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.76x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 51 24.76x
Warrington 16 39.80x
Manchester 12 7.87x
Everton 10 9.25x
Leeds 8 5.00x
Ryhope 8 135.59x
Sheffield 8 8.87x
Wakefield 8 36.80x
Gorton 7 21.96x
Kirkdale 7 12.27x
Toxteth Park 7 6.10x
Westby With Plumpton 7 1346.15x
Whitehaven 7 53.35x
Chilton 6 2142.86x
Cleator 6 58.59x
Hulme 6 8.47x
Tottenham 6 13.18x
Lydiate 5 471.70x
Middlesbrough 5 13.56x
Northallerton 5 138.50x
West Derby 5 5.04x
Birkenhead 4 7.95x
Newton 4 15.30x
Rumworth 4 82.47x
Salford 4 4.01x
Bishopwearmouth 3 4.11x
Bradford 3 4.38x
Brightside Bierlow 3 5.40x
E W Thirston With 3 1153.85x
Govan 3 1.31x
West Ham 3 2.41x
Aldershot 2 10.19x
Dewsbury 2 6.88x
Fulham London 2 4.83x
Lambeth 2 0.80x
Lanark 2 26.88x
Lancaster 2 9.91x
Longbenton 2 11.10x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 9.07x
Shoreditch London 2 1.61x
St Cuthbert W O 2 16.68x
Tormoham 2 7.95x
Anderston 1 416.67x
Barnsley 1 3.42x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 11.10x
Camberwell 1 0.55x
Charlton Next Woolwich 1 9.83x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 1.86x
Crumpsall 1 12.52x
East Stonehouse 1 8.53x
Gilling East 1 416.67x
Hammersmith London 1 1.42x
Henllan 1 36.23x
Lenton 1 11.03x
Lower Ystradgynlais 1 28.33x
Macclesfield 1 3.57x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 3.94x
Newington 1 0.95x
Northfield 1 14.12x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.00x
Oldham 1 0.91x
Over 1 15.60x
Paddington London 1 0.95x
Portsea 1 0.87x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 1 13.77x
Ratcliffe London 1 6.34x
Rye 1 21.83x
Shelf 1 37.04x
St Marylebone London 1 0.66x
St Pancras London 1 0.43x
Tanshelf 1 44.25x
Twickenham 1 8.16x
Tynemouth 1 4.39x
Walmer 1 23.58x
Walton On Hill 1 5.44x
Whitechapel London 1 3.55x
Wolstanton 1 3.41x
Workington 1 7.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Catherine 10
Margaret 10
Ann 8
Elizabeth 7
Jane 5
Sarah 5
Ellen 4
Alice 3
Bridget 3
Agnes 2
Annie 2
Elisabeth 2
Fanny 2
Julia 2
Rose 2
A. 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Catharine 1
Cathe. 1
Cathrine 1
Charlotte 1
Costenia 1
Dorothy 1
Eliza 1
Elsie 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Eugenia 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Henretta 1
Isabella 1
Katie 1
Lavinia 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Margerit 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
R. 1
Rosa 1
S. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 23
James 13
Patrick 13
Thomas 11
Edward 9
Joseph 9
Michael 8
William 6
Bernard 5
Owen 4
Frederick 3
Hugh 3
Peter 3
Denis 2
Francis 2
George 2
J. 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Abraham 1
Alexr. 1
Alfred 1
Anthony 1
Aubrey 1
Austin 1
Brian 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Eugene 1
F. 1
Frank 1
Henry 1
Jame 1
Jno. 1
Larry 1
Lawerence 1
M. 1
Micky 1
Nelson 1
Nicholas 1
Philip 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Roth 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Mccabe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccabe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,785 people were recorded with the Mccabe surname. That placed it at #1,210 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccabe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 10,745 in 2016. That gives Mccabe a modern rank of #604.

What does the Mccabe surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cába," meaning "son of Cába" (a personal name of unknown meaning).

What does the Mccabe map show?

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