NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccarter

A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a carter or transporter of goods by cart.

In the 1881 census there were 246 people recorded with the Mccarter surname, ranking it #11,201 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 448, ranked #10,842, up from #11,201 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ06, Barrow-in-Furness and Carntyne West and Haghill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccarter is 450 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.1%.

1881 census count

246

Ranked #11,201

Modern count

448

2016, ranked #10,842

Peak year

2013

450 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccarter had 246 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,201 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 448 in 2016, ranked #10,842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 340 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccarter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccarter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccarter 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 289 #7,860
1861 historical 340 #7,497
1881 historical 246 #11,201
1891 historical 277 #11,784
1901 historical 316 #11,242
1911 historical 181 #15,911
1997 modern 400 #11,013
1998 modern 403 #11,275
1999 modern 403 #11,382
2000 modern 408 #11,232
2001 modern 408 #11,056
2002 modern 408 #11,272
2003 modern 404 #11,191
2004 modern 406 #11,155
2005 modern 398 #11,231
2006 modern 396 #11,338
2007 modern 410 #11,162
2008 modern 409 #11,271
2009 modern 418 #11,309
2010 modern 425 #11,423
2011 modern 429 #11,197
2012 modern 432 #11,015
2013 modern 450 #10,831
2014 modern 448 #10,946
2015 modern 447 #10,873
2016 modern 448 #10,842

Geography

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Where Mccarters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Edinburgh, Prestonkirk and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ06, Barrow-in-Furness, Carntyne West and Haghill, Bradford and West Devon. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Prestonkirk Haddington
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ06 West Dunbartonshire
2 Barrow-in-Furness 005 Barrow-in-Furness
3 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City
4 Bradford 004 Bradford
5 West Devon 005 West Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccarter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccarter

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Mccarter is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccarter 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

Mccarter falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccarter 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mccarter

The surname McCarter is of Scottish origin, arising from the Gaelic Mac a' Cheartair, meaning "son of the quarrier" or "son of the carter". It first emerged in the 13th century in the regions surrounding Glasgow and Ayrshire, where quarrying and hauling stone were common occupations.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name is Gilcrist McCarter, who appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1328. The name is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles swearing fealty to Edward I of England, suggesting the surname's antiquity.

During the 16th century, the McCarters were prominent landowners in the parishes of Dalry and Largs in Ayrshire. In 1546, John McCarter of Largs is mentioned in the Protocol Book of Gavin Ros, a record of legal transactions in the area.

The surname is also associated with the Covenanters, a Scottish Presbyterian movement of the 17th century. In 1684, John McCarter of Craigend was fined for attending conventicles, illegal religious gatherings held in defiance of the established Church of Scotland.

Notable McCarters throughout history include:

1. Robert McCarter (1823-1899), an Irish-born American businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

2. William McCarter (1816-1891), an American lawyer and politician who served as New Jersey Attorney General and represented the state in the United States Senate.

3. John McCarter (1741-1824), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler of Kentucky.

4. Margaret McCarter (1858-1920), a Scottish-born Canadian educator and women's rights advocate, known for her work promoting access to education for women and girls.

5. John McCarter (1767-1835), an Irish-born American merchant and landowner, who was one of the founders of the city of Newark, Ohio.

The surname McCarter has also given rise to various place names, such as McCarter's Glen, a historic site in Ayrshire, and McCarter Highway, a major road in Newark, New Jersey, named after the former mayor Robert McCarter.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccarter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccarter 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 Mccarters recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.29x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8 6.29x
Cumberland 1 10.83x
Derbyshire 1 5.96x
Surrey 1 1.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Little Marsden in Lancashire leads with 6 Mccarters recorded in 1881 and an index of 1034.48x.

Place Total Index
Great Little Marsden 6 1034.48x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 1 909.09x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 99.01x
Newington 1 25.25x
Toxteth Park 1 23.20x
Whitehaven 1 204.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 2
Amelia 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Rebecca 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 3
John 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 Mccarter households.

FAQ

Mccarter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccarter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 246 people were recorded with the Mccarter surname. That placed it at #11,201 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccarter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 448 in 2016. That gives Mccarter a modern rank of #10,842.

What does the Mccarter surname mean?

A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a carter or transporter of goods by cart.

What does the Mccarter map show?

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