UK surname

Mccallan

A surname of Scottish origin meaning "son of the callow one."

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Mccallan surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gateshead, Stockton-on-Tees and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccallan is 134 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.2%.

1881 census count

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1998

134 bearers

Map years

1998 to 2016

Key insights

• Mccallan had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 88 in 1881.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Map

Mccallan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccallan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Mccallan 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	46	#24,985
1861	historical	63	#25,901
1881	historical	88	#21,211
1891	historical	78	#27,035
1901	historical	69	#26,499
1911	historical	58	#27,001
1997	modern	122	#23,917
1998	modern	134	#23,202
1999	modern	132	#23,602
2000	modern	118	#25,197
2001	modern	121	#24,493
2002	modern	120	#25,110
2003	modern	115	#25,538
2004	modern	110	#26,451
2005	modern	111	#26,260
2006	modern	111	#26,565
2007	modern	111	#26,954
2008	modern	112	#27,061
2009	modern	122	#26,220
2010	modern	122	#26,876
2011	modern	106	#29,157
2012	modern	110	#28,514
2013	modern	113	#28,502
2014	modern	109	#29,452
2015	modern	109	#29,327
2016	modern	104	#30,317

Geography

Where Mccallans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gateshead, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, Stenhousemuir East and Pembrokeshire. 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	No data	No data

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Gateshead 024	Gateshead
2	Stockton-on-Tees 004	Stockton-on-Tees
3	County Durham 012	County Durham
4	Stenhousemuir East	Falkirk
5	Pembrokeshire 010	Pembrokeshire

Forenames

First names often paired with Mccallan

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Mary Jean Claire Margaret Kathleen Sarah Edna Anne Marie Christine

Recent male names

David Thomas Peter Patrick Michael John James Ian Paul Brian

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Mccallan

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mccallan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mccallan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mccallan is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccallan is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccallan falls in decile 3 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.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccallan 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.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - Irish

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Mccallan

The surname MCCALLAN is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the Gaelic language spoken in the Highlands of Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is a variation of the name MacCallan, which means "son of the callan" or "son of the young lad." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who was youthful or perhaps the youngest son in a family.

The name MCCALLAN can be found in historical records dating back to the 16th century, though its earliest recorded use is shrouded in the mists of time. One notable mention of the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1506, which refer to a "Jhone McCallan" who was a tenant farmer in the region of Galloway.

In the 17th century, the MCCALLAN name was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands, especially around the counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. During this period, the spelling of the name varied, with variations such as McCallane, McCallum, and McCalman also appearing in records.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCCALLAN name can be found in the person of Robert McCallan, who was born in Ayrshire in 1620. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Covenanter movement, which sought to preserve Presbyterian church governance in Scotland against the efforts of the Stuart monarchs to impose episcopacy.

In the 18th century, the MCCALLAN name began to spread beyond Scotland, as many bearers of the name emigrated to the Americas and other parts of the British Empire. One notable bearer of the name was James McCallan, born in Lanarkshire in 1724, who served as a captain in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.

As the centuries progressed, the MCCALLAN name continued to be carried by individuals of distinction. In the 19th century, John McCallan (1814-1891) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Glasgow, known for his support of educational initiatives and his involvement in the city's civic affairs.

Another notable MCCALLAN was William McCallan (1842-1912), a Scottish-born engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Panama Canal. His expertise in dredging and hydraulic engineering was instrumental in the successful completion of this monumental engineering feat.

In the realm of literature, the MCCALLAN name is associated with the Irish-American author James McCallan (1880-1966), whose works focused on the experiences of Irish immigrants in the United States.

Throughout its history, the MCCALLAN surname has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, ranging from farmers and soldiers to entrepreneurs and writers. Despite its humble origins as a descriptive nickname, the name has endured and spread across the globe, carried by those who trace their ancestry back to the rugged landscapes of Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Mccallan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccallan 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 10 Mccallans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.80x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Lancashire	10	0.00%	4.80x
Nottinghamshire	4	0.00%	16.90x
Yorkshire	4	0.00%	2.30x

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 6 Mccallans recorded in 1881 and an index of 171.43x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Kirkdale	6	0.01%	171.43x
Basford	4	0.02%	366.97x
Linthorpe	4	0.02%	384.62x
Toxteth Park	4	0.00%	56.74x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Elizabeth	2
Grace	2
Ann	1
Gertrude	1
Sarah	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
David	3
John	3
Adam	1
Arthur	1
James	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 Mccallan households.

Occupation	Count
Scholar	3
Blacksmith	2
Labourer	2
Bootmaker	1
Vicar Of New Basford M.A.	1

FAQ

Mccallan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccallan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Mccallan surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccallan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Mccallan a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Mccallan surname mean?