UK surname

Mccallister

A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a maid or a collector of taxes.

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Mccallister surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hillside and Calton Hill, Bolton and Hyndburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccallister is 138 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.9%.

1881 census count

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

2010

138 bearers

Map years

1998 to 2016

Key insights

• Mccallister had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 94 in 1861.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Map

Mccallister surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccallister surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Mccallister 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	65	#21,747
1861	historical	94	#21,883
1881	historical	70	#23,670
1891	historical	67	#28,424
1901	historical	75	#25,852
1911	historical	61	#26,724
1997	modern	115	#24,834
1998	modern	122	#24,556
1999	modern	130	#23,805
2000	modern	126	#24,220
2001	modern	126	#23,883
2002	modern	118	#25,358
2003	modern	112	#25,948
2004	modern	116	#25,580
2005	modern	114	#25,837
2006	modern	111	#26,565
2007	modern	118	#25,913
2008	modern	121	#25,785
2009	modern	128	#25,427
2010	modern	138	#24,801
2011	modern	129	#25,673
2012	modern	136	#24,830
2013	modern	131	#25,932
2014	modern	132	#25,971
2015	modern	124	#26,944
2016	modern	121	#27,399

Geography

Where Mccallisters 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 Hillside and Calton Hill, Bolton, Hyndburn, Cheshire East and Wirral. 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	Hillside and Calton Hill	City of Edinburgh
2	Bolton 012	Bolton
3	Hyndburn 006	Hyndburn
4	Cheshire East 034	Cheshire East
5	Wirral 011	Wirral

Forenames

First names often paired with Mccallister

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Lisa Karen Barbara Ruth Mary Margaret Patricia Nicola Edna Julie

Recent male names

William David James Thomas Ian Samuel Andrew Robert John Stephen

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Mccallister

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mccallister, 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 Mccallister surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mccallister 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mccallister is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Mccallister is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccallister 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.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccallister 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 - British

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Mccallister

The surname McCallister is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the Gaelic language and the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic personal name "Callistair," derived from the Greek name "Kallistos," meaning "most beautiful."

The McCallister name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Ayrshire and Galloway, located in the southwestern part of Scotland. Historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries show various spellings, including McCalister, McCallester, and MacCalaster, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "John McCalister" is listed among those from the county of Ayr.

In the 16th century, the McCallisters were prominent landowners and played a role in the clan conflicts and feuds that were common in Scottish history. Sir Duncan McCallister of Ardwell, born around 1520, was a notable figure who actively participated in these clan disputes.

During the 17th century, the McCallister name appeared in various historical records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1691, which listed households and their occupants for taxation purposes. John McCallister of Ayrshire was recorded as a landowner during this period.

One of the most famous individuals with the McCallister surname was Sir Brewster McCallister, born in 1767. He was a Scottish naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and was celebrated for his bravery during the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted for his distinguished service in 1805.

Another notable McCallister was Robert McCallister, born in 1812, a Scottish politician and Member of Parliament for the County of Ayr from 1857 to 1868. He played a significant role in advocating for agricultural reforms and the rights of Scottish tenants.

In the literary world, the surname is associated with Archibald McCallister, a Scottish poet and author born in 1830. He gained recognition for his works depicting rural life and the natural beauty of Scotland.

The McCallister name has also been linked to place names, such as McCallister's Loch in Ayrshire, a body of water named after a prominent local family in the area.

Throughout its history, the McCallister surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, military officers, politicians, and literary figures, reflecting the diversity and rich heritage of this Scottish name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Mccallister families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccallister 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. Cumberland leads with 4 Mccallisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 79.52x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Cumberland	4	0.00%	79.52x
Lancashire	2	0.00%	2.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitehaven in Cumberland leads with 4 Mccallisters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1481.48x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Whitehaven	4	0.03%	1481.48x
Liverpool	2	0.00%	47.51x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Elizh.	1
Esther	1
Rosanna	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
Patrick	1
Willm.	1
Wm.	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 Mccallister households.

Occupation	Count
Joiner	1
Joiners Wife	1
Labourer	1

FAQ

Mccallister surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccallister surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Mccallister surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccallister surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Mccallister a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Mccallister surname mean?