NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccance

An Irish surname derived from Mac Ainndéis meaning "son of Ainndéis".

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Mccance surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 334, ranked #13,640, up from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Carnwadric West and Portsmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccance is 351 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 317.5%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

334

2016, ranked #13,640

Peak year

2007

351 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccance had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 334 in 2016, ranked #13,640.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 139 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccance surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccance surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mccance 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 45 #28,296
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 139 #18,876
1911 historical 56 #27,216
1997 modern 299 #13,563
1998 modern 312 #13,532
1999 modern 291 #14,234
2000 modern 296 #14,044
2001 modern 295 #13,867
2002 modern 326 #13,241
2003 modern 320 #13,239
2004 modern 319 #13,342
2005 modern 324 #13,108
2006 modern 326 #13,128
2007 modern 351 #12,571
2008 modern 349 #12,723
2009 modern 345 #13,107
2010 modern 336 #13,613
2011 modern 334 #13,556
2012 modern 335 #13,408
2013 modern 335 #13,604
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 338 #13,527
2016 modern 334 #13,640

Geography

Back to top

Where Mccances are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Carnwadric West, Portsmouth, Tonbridge and Malling and Easterhouse East. 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 Manchester Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 010 County Durham
2 Carnwadric West Glasgow City
3 Portsmouth 001 Portsmouth
4 Tonbridge and Malling 010 Tonbridge and Malling
5 Easterhouse East Glasgow City

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mccance

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mccance

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

Mccance 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

Mccance 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 Mccance 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.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mccance

The surname McCance is of Irish and Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Channaich, meaning "son of the canon." It is believed to have originated in the late 12th century, when the Catholic Church introduced the concept of canon law and established positions for canons, who were clergymen responsible for administering church law and regulations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Gillacamnaich" in the year 1276. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been pronounced similarly to "Gillacamnagh."

In Scotland, the McCance name is closely associated with the county of Ayrshire, where several families bearing this surname were recorded in the 16th and 17th centuries. The earliest known McCance in Scotland was John McCance, who was born in Ayrshire around 1560.

During the 17th century, the name began to appear in various historical records across Ireland and Scotland. One notable figure was William McCance, a merchant from County Down, Ireland, who was granted a coat of arms in 1668 by the Ulster King of Arms.

Another significant individual was James McCance, a Presbyterian minister born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1719. He later emigrated to Pennsylvania, where he established several churches and played a influential role in the religious life of the colony.

In the 19th century, the McCance family produced several prominent members, including John McCance (1800-1885), an Irish politician and landowner, and his son, Sir James McCance (1835-1912), a successful businessman and philanthropist who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Other notable individuals with the McCance surname include Robert McCance (1898-1993), a British biochemist renowned for his pioneering work in nutrition and dietetics, and John McCance (1920-2005), a British engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of radar technology during World War II.

While the McCance name has its roots in Ireland and Scotland, it has since spread across the globe, with families bearing this surname found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mccance families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccance 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. Ayrshire leads with 4 Mccances recorded in 1881 and an index of 137.46x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 4 137.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dalmellington in Ayrshire leads with 4 Mccances recorded in 1881 and an index of 4444.44x.

Place Total Index
Dalmellington 4 4444.44x

FAQ

Mccance surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccance surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Mccance surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccance surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 334 in 2016. That gives Mccance a modern rank of #13,640.

What does the Mccance surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from Mac Ainndéis meaning "son of Ainndéis".

What does the Mccance map show?

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