UK surname
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cearbhaill," meaning "son of Cearbhall" (a personal name).
In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Mccarley surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 80, ranked #33,030, down from #29,484 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Bridekirk, Govan Combination and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccarley is 124 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 175.9%.
1881 census count
29
Ranked #29,484
Modern count
80
2016, ranked #33,030
Peak year
1861
124 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Mccarley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Mccarley surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 24 | #29,038 |
| 1861 | historical | 124 | #17,797 |
| 1881 | historical | 29 | #29,484 |
| 1891 | historical | 120 | #21,292 |
| 1901 | historical | 60 | #27,502 |
| 1911 | historical | 30 | #30,073 |
| 1997 | modern | 75 | #30,109 |
| 1998 | modern | 74 | #30,562 |
| 1999 | modern | 71 | #31,036 |
| 2000 | modern | 75 | #30,668 |
| 2001 | modern | 73 | #30,699 |
| 2002 | modern | 77 | #30,709 |
| 2003 | modern | 74 | #31,091 |
| 2004 | modern | 72 | #31,488 |
| 2005 | modern | 76 | #31,267 |
| 2006 | modern | 74 | #31,850 |
| 2007 | modern | 77 | #31,856 |
| 2008 | modern | 77 | #32,181 |
| 2009 | modern | 77 | #32,553 |
| 2010 | modern | 73 | #33,249 |
| 2011 | modern | 79 | #32,743 |
| 2012 | modern | 77 | #33,124 |
| 2013 | modern | 84 | #32,745 |
| 2014 | modern | 79 | #33,205 |
| 2015 | modern | 81 | #32,975 |
| 2016 | modern | 80 | #33,030 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Bridekirk, Govan Combination, Manchester, Lambeth and Merthyr Tydfil. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridekirk | Cumberland |
| 2 | Govan Combination | Lanark |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| 5 | Merthyr Tydfil | Glamorganshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Mccarley surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mccarley, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Mccarley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Mccarley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Mccarley is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccarley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Mccarley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname McCarley is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic phrase "mac Thearlaich," which translates to "son of Charles." The name was likely derived from the personal name Charles, which was a popular name among Scottish nobility during that time period.
The earliest recorded instances of the McCarley surname can be found in parish records from the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include John McCarley, who was born in Inveraray, Argyll, in 1612, and William McCarley, who was born in Inverness in 1624.
In the late 17th century, the name began to appear in historical records outside of Scotland, as Scottish settlers migrated to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the Americas. One notable figure was James McCarley, a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Nova Scotia, Canada, in the late 18th century.
Another significant figure in the history of the McCarley name was Sir Robert McCarley (1776-1846), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Gatton in Surrey, England, from 1820 to 1826. He was also a successful merchant and landowner, with estates in both Scotland and England.
The McCarley surname has also been associated with several notable figures in the United States. One example is James McCarley (1834-1900), an Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1887 to 1891. Another notable American with this surname was John McCarley (1892-1959), a professional baseball player who played for the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers in the early 20th century.
In more recent times, the name has been carried by individuals such as David McCarley (born 1952), an American film director and screenwriter best known for his work on the animated movie "The Polar Express," and Kathleen McCarley (born 1948), an American artist and educator known for her abstract paintings and mixed media works.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccarley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Hampshire leads with 5 Mccarleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.30x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hampshire | 5 | 50.30x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alverstoke in Hampshire leads with 5 Mccarleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1388.89x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Alverstoke | 5 | 1388.89x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mccarley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Annie | 1 |
| Elixa | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mccarley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Mccarley households.
FAQ
In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Mccarley surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 80 in 2016. That gives Mccarley a modern rank of #33,030.
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cearbhaill," meaning "son of Cearbhall" (a personal name).
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mccarley bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.