NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccarney

Surname meaning "son of little Carney", a diminutive of Cairneach, a personal name derived from a Gaelic word meaning "freckled".

In the 1881 census there were 44 people recorded with the Mccarney surname, ranking it #27,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 297, ranked #14,839, up from #27,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Port Glasgow Upper East, Camden and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccarney is 299 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 575.0%.

1881 census count

44

Ranked #27,447

Modern count

297

2016, ranked #14,839

Peak year

2010

299 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccarney had 44 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 297 in 2016, ranked #14,839.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 61 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mccarney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccarney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccarney 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 51 #27,498
1881 historical 44 #27,447
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 61 #27,379
1911 historical 13 #32,172
1997 modern 270 #14,515
1998 modern 282 #14,472
1999 modern 282 #14,545
2000 modern 272 #14,868
2001 modern 265 #14,915
2002 modern 285 #14,483
2003 modern 268 #14,897
2004 modern 280 #14,530
2005 modern 283 #14,343
2006 modern 283 #14,432
2007 modern 281 #14,660
2008 modern 273 #15,113
2009 modern 283 #15,020
2010 modern 299 #14,769
2011 modern 296 #14,729
2012 modern 286 #15,012
2013 modern 299 #14,780
2014 modern 295 #15,020
2015 modern 296 #14,893
2016 modern 297 #14,839

Geography

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Where Mccarneys 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 Port Glasgow Upper East, Camden, Manchester, Torbay and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Port Glasgow Upper East Inverclyde
2 Camden 003 Camden
3 Manchester 050 Manchester
4 Torbay 005 Torbay
5 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccarney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccarney

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mccarney 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

Mccarney is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccarney 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 Mccarney 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 Mccarney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mccarney

The surname McCarney has its origins in Ireland, with roots that can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an anglicized version of the Irish surname Mac Ciarnaigh, which means "son of Ciarnaigh." Ciarnaigh itself is derived from the Gaelic word "ciar," meaning "black" or "dark-featured."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCarney name can be found in the Irish Annals, which document the existence of a family called Mac Ciarnaigh in County Tyrone during the late 16th century. It is likely that the anglicization of the name to McCarney occurred as a result of the English conquest of Ireland and the subsequent imposition of English language and customs.

The McCarney surname was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of Ireland, such as Tyrone, Derry, and Antrim. Some notable individuals bearing this name include John McCarney (1789-1847), an Irish-born American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, and Patrick McCarney (1832-1909), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Another prominent figure with the McCarney surname was James McCarney (1820-1892), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist who amassed a significant fortune through his involvement in the brewing industry in New York City. He was known for his generous donations to various charitable causes, including the establishment of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in New York.

In the world of sports, the name McCarney is associated with Gene McCarney (1915-1994), an American football player and coach who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and later served as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.

While the origin of the McCarney surname can be traced back to Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. The name has undergone various spelling variations over time, including McCarny, MacCarney, and Carney, reflecting the challenges of transliterating Irish names into English.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mccarney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccarney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 44 people were recorded with the Mccarney surname. That placed it at #27,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccarney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 297 in 2016. That gives Mccarney a modern rank of #14,839.

What does the Mccarney surname mean?

Surname meaning "son of little Carney", a diminutive of Cairneach, a personal name derived from a Gaelic word meaning "freckled".

What does the Mccarney map show?

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