NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccarten

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the car driver".

In the 1881 census there were 109 people recorded with the Mccarten surname, ranking it #18,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 427, ranked #11,260, up from #18,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccarten is 432 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 291.7%.

1881 census count

109

Ranked #18,793

Modern count

427

2016, ranked #11,260

Peak year

2015

432 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccarten had 109 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 427 in 2016, ranked #11,260.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 169 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccarten surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccarten surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccarten 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 35 #27,037
1861 historical 50 #27,636
1881 historical 109 #18,793
1891 historical 169 #16,885
1901 historical 125 #20,061
1911 historical 151 #17,797
1997 modern 404 #10,931
1998 modern 399 #11,354
1999 modern 423 #10,982
2000 modern 393 #11,540
2001 modern 394 #11,344
2002 modern 406 #11,315
2003 modern 395 #11,364
2004 modern 405 #11,177
2005 modern 397 #11,250
2006 modern 392 #11,418
2007 modern 400 #11,374
2008 modern 405 #11,351
2009 modern 421 #11,246
2010 modern 419 #11,550
2011 modern 417 #11,462
2012 modern 417 #11,346
2013 modern 426 #11,350
2014 modern 427 #11,393
2015 modern 432 #11,183
2016 modern 427 #11,260

Geography

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Where Mccartens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Glasgow, Cleator and Stockton-on-Tees (Stockton-on-Tees), Stainton (Thornaby ), Norton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
2 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Cleator Cumberland
5 Stockton-on-Tees (Stockton-on-Tees), Stainton (Thornaby ), Norton Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 014 Liverpool
2 Liverpool 045 Liverpool
3 Liverpool 040 Liverpool
4 Liverpool 052 Liverpool
5 Liverpool 044 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccarten

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccarten

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mccarten is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccarten is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mccarten

The surname McCarten is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Artain, meaning "son of Artan." It first appeared in the Scottish Highlands during the Middle Ages.

The name is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll, where the McCarten clan held lands. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "MacArtane," found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1478.

In the 16th century, the McCarten clan was involved in various conflicts with neighboring clans, such as the Campbells and the MacDonalds. These disputes were often over land and resources, and the McCarten clan played a significant role in the turbulent history of the Scottish Highlands.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname McCarten was Dougal McCarten, who was recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document listing Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Another notable figure was John McCarten, born in 1745 in Argyll, who served as a captain in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Long Island.

In the late 18th century, many McCarten families emigrated from Scotland to Ireland, where the surname became more prevalent. One of the most famous Irish-born individuals with the surname was James McCarten, a renowned poet and journalist born in 1835 in County Antrim.

During the 19th century, several McCarten families migrated to North America, particularly to Canada and the United States. One prominent individual was Andrew McCarten, born in 1840 in Scotland, who became a successful businessman and politician in Ontario, Canada.

In the 20th century, the surname McCarten continued to be associated with notable figures, such as the American actor and filmmaker Bill McCarten, born in 1924, who appeared in several popular films and television shows.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccarten families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccarten 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 12 Mccartens recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.19x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 12 5.19x
Cumberland 8 47.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkdale in Lancashire leads with 9 Mccartens recorded in 1881 and an index of 231.36x.

Place Total Index
Kirkdale 9 231.36x
Cleator 6 857.14x
Liverpool 3 21.37x
Crosscanonby 2 363.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Harriet 2
Mary 2
Ellen 1
Hannah 1
Rose 1
Roseann 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
James 2
William 2
Edwd. 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Owen 1
Patrick 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 Mccarten households.

FAQ

Mccarten surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccarten surname in 1881?

In 1881, 109 people were recorded with the Mccarten surname. That placed it at #18,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccarten surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 427 in 2016. That gives Mccarten a modern rank of #11,260.

What does the Mccarten surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the car driver".

What does the Mccarten map show?

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