NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccamley

An Irish surname from the Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh meaning "son of the descendant of Amhalgaidh/Awley".

In the 1881 census there were 58 people recorded with the Mccamley surname, ranking it #25,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 340, ranked #13,456, up from #25,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Keppochhill and Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccamley is 351 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 486.2%.

1881 census count

58

Ranked #25,428

Modern count

340

2016, ranked #13,456

Peak year

2010

351 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccamley had 58 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016, ranked #13,456.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccamley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccamley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccamley 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 36 #29,463
1881 historical 58 #25,428
1891 historical 81 #26,632
1901 historical 132 #19,469
1911 historical 59 #26,914
1997 modern 307 #13,328
1998 modern 332 #12,990
1999 modern 331 #13,106
2000 modern 332 #13,023
2001 modern 330 #12,893
2002 modern 328 #13,186
2003 modern 323 #13,161
2004 modern 323 #13,230
2005 modern 332 #12,881
2006 modern 335 #12,883
2007 modern 330 #13,142
2008 modern 328 #13,319
2009 modern 340 #13,244
2010 modern 351 #13,220
2011 modern 341 #13,341
2012 modern 324 #13,751
2013 modern 333 #13,682
2014 modern 344 #13,426
2015 modern 336 #13,593
2016 modern 340 #13,456

Geography

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Where Mccamleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination, Glasgow, Liverpool and Dalmellington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Keppochhill, Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts, South Tyneside and Largs South. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Dalmellington Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 008 County Durham
2 Keppochhill Glasgow City
3 Lochside, Braehead and Whitletts South Ayrshire
4 South Tyneside 014 South Tyneside
5 Largs South North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccamley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccamley

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mccamley is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mccamley is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccamley 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 Mccamley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mccamley

The surname MCCAMLEY is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Camalmàigh" which means "crooked eye". It is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland during the 12th century.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1296, when Robert McCamley was listed in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was well established by the late 13th century.

In its earliest forms, the name was spelled in various ways, including McCamaly, McCamlaigh, and McCamlye, reflecting the different regional dialects and the transition from Gaelic to English spellings.

One notable historical figure bearing this name was Sir James McCamley (1560-1623), a Scottish knight and landowner who played a role in the colonization of Ulster in the early 17th century. He was granted lands in County Antrim, Ireland, and his descendants continued to use the McCamley surname in that region.

Another prominent McCamley was William McCamley (1720-1788), a Scottish-born merchant and entrepreneur who settled in Virginia in the mid-18th century. He established a successful trading business and was involved in the early development of the tobacco industry in the American colonies.

In the 19th century, John McCamley (1802-1879) was a Scottish-American engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the design and construction of early railroads in the United States. He held several patents for railway technologies and was recognized for his innovative work in the field.

The name also appeared in historical records in Scotland, such as the Old Parish Registers, which documented births, marriages, and deaths in local parishes. Places like Kilmarnock and Ayr in Ayrshire, as well as Glasgow and its surrounding areas, had notable populations of McCamleys during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Another notable figure was Robert McCamley (1850-1916), a Scottish-born politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons, representing the constituency of Paisley from 1895 to 1906.

While not as common as some other Scottish surnames, the name MCCAMLEY has a rich history and can be traced back to its Gaelic origins in the Scottish Highlands, with various spellings and prominent individuals bearing the name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccamley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccamley 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 8 Mccamleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.64x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8 8.64x

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 8 Mccamleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 142.35x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 8 142.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 2
Hugh 1
James 1
Maxwell 1
Richard 1
Samuel 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 Mccamley households.

Occupation Count
Scholar 4
Dock Labourer 1

FAQ

Mccamley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccamley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58 people were recorded with the Mccamley surname. That placed it at #25,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccamley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 340 in 2016. That gives Mccamley a modern rank of #13,456.

What does the Mccamley surname mean?

An Irish surname from the Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh meaning "son of the descendant of Amhalgaidh/Awley".

What does the Mccamley map show?

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