NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccallum

Son of Calum, a Scottish Gaelic name derived from the Latin Columba, meaning "dove."

In the 1881 census there were 6,610 people recorded with the Mccallum surname, ranking it #641 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,514, ranked #776, down from #641 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Kilmichael Glassary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Campbeltown, Black Isle North and Largs Central and Cumbrae.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccallum is 8,514 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.8%.

1881 census count

6,610

Ranked #641

Modern count

8,514

2016, ranked #776

Peak year

2016

8,514 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccallum had 6,610 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #641 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,514 in 2016, ranked #776.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,871 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mccallum surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccallum surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccallum 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 5,034 #547
1861 historical 5,369 #517
1881 historical 6,610 #641
1891 historical 6,935 #649
1901 historical 7,871 #680
1911 historical 897 #4,968
1997 modern 7,882 #818
1998 modern 8,107 #827
1999 modern 8,120 #834
2000 modern 8,166 #819
2001 modern 7,954 #821
2002 modern 8,122 #820
2003 modern 7,852 #828
2004 modern 7,910 #819
2005 modern 7,909 #809
2006 modern 7,935 #806
2007 modern 8,043 #806
2008 modern 8,079 #808
2009 modern 8,303 #803
2010 modern 8,480 #797
2011 modern 8,357 #801
2012 modern 8,184 #803
2013 modern 8,338 #797
2014 modern 8,483 #789
2015 modern 8,475 #781
2016 modern 8,514 #776

Geography

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Where Mccallums are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Campbeltown, Black Isle North, Largs Central and Cumbrae, Craigmillar and Raploch. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Kilmichael Glassary Argyll
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Kilmore and Kilbride Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
2 Black Isle North Highland
3 Largs Central and Cumbrae North Ayrshire
4 Craigmillar City of Edinburgh
5 Raploch Stirling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccallum

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccallum

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mccallum surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mccallum household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mccallum 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

Mccallum 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

Mccallum 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 Mccallum 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mccallum

The surname McCallum is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "mac Challuim" meaning "son of Calum" or "son of the dove." The name can be traced back to the 12th century in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Malcolm Mackalmunel" in this document. Similar spellings such as "MacCholman" and "MacCholmun" were also found in medieval Scottish records.

The name McCallum has historical connections to the Clan MacLeod and the Clan Donald, two powerful Scottish clans. In the 16th century, a branch of the Clan Donald adopted the surname McCallum, and they were known as the "McCallumore" or "McCallumlot" sept.

One notable McCallum in history was Alexander McCallum (1784-1851), a Scottish-born American author and journalist who wrote extensively about the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Another prominent figure was John McCallum (1857-1923), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as the Premier of Western Australia from 1901 to 1902.

In the literary world, Archibald McCallum (1890-1974) was a Canadian novelist and short story writer known for his works depicting rural life in Ontario. William Cooper McCallum (1921-2013) was a renowned American mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of analysis and functional analysis.

Lastly, Pamela McCallum (1934-2008) was a British-born Australian actress and singer who had a successful career in theater, television, and film. She is remembered for her roles in the Australian television series "Bellbird" and the film "The Fringe Dwellers."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccallum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccallum 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 17 Mccallums recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.13x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 17 2.13x
Devon 9 6.42x
Renfrewshire 5 9.59x
Essex 4 3.01x
Argyllshire 3 16.01x
Dorset 3 6.79x
Flintshire 3 16.58x
Hampshire 3 2.17x
Kent 3 1.31x
Middlesex 3 0.45x
Yorkshire 3 0.45x
Ayrshire 2 3.97x
Northumberland 2 2.00x
Sussex 2 1.76x
Worcestershire 2 2.28x
Buckinghamshire 1 2.46x
Cumberland 1 1.73x
Lanarkshire 1 0.46x
Royal Navy 1 12.47x
Surrey 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Plymouth St Andrew in Devon leads with 9 Mccallums recorded in 1881 and an index of 83.41x.

Place Total Index
Plymouth St Andrew 9 83.41x
Pilkington 7 231.02x
Neilston 5 190.84x
Liverpool 4 8.25x
Manchester 4 11.14x
West Ham 4 13.64x
Northop Golftyn 3 1428.57x
Portland 3 126.05x
Portsea 3 11.09x
Charlton 2 130.72x
Dalry 2 84.39x
Dunoon 2 512.82x
Hendon 2 82.64x
Kidderminster Borough 2 38.91x
Reedness 2 1818.18x
Ardchattan Muckairn 1 217.39x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 47.17x
Brighton 1 4.37x
Chesham 1 66.67x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 7.88x
Dewsbury 1 14.62x
Hove 1 20.08x
Islington London 1 1.53x
Lambeth 1 1.70x
Milton In Gravesend 1 29.07x
Spotland 1 11.26x
Tradeston 1 2500.00x
Tynemouth 1 18.66x
Whitehaven 1 32.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Ann 3
Emily 2
Helena 2
Martha 2
Bridget 1
Emila 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1
Tabitha 1

Top male names

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

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 Mccallum households.

FAQ

Mccallum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccallum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,610 people were recorded with the Mccallum surname. That placed it at #641 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccallum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,514 in 2016. That gives Mccallum a modern rank of #776.

What does the Mccallum surname mean?

Son of Calum, a Scottish Gaelic name derived from the Latin Columba, meaning "dove."

What does the Mccallum map show?

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