NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccartney

Son of Artán, from the Gaelic "Mac Artáin," likely referring to an Irish saint or mythological figure.

In the 1881 census there were 2,229 people recorded with the Mccartney surname, ranking it #1,994 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,085, ranked #1,334, up from #1,994 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ibrox, Drumoyne and Shieldhall and Govan and Linthouse.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccartney is 5,109 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 128.1%.

1881 census count

2,229

Ranked #1,994

Modern count

5,085

2016, ranked #1,334

Peak year

2014

5,109 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccartney had 2,229 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,994 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,085 in 2016, ranked #1,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,636 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccartney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccartney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccartney 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 1,215 #2,346
1861 historical 1,414 #2,018
1881 historical 2,229 #1,994
1891 historical 2,252 #2,075
1901 historical 2,636 #2,095
1911 historical 1,034 #4,438
1997 modern 4,517 #1,450
1998 modern 4,659 #1,462
1999 modern 4,792 #1,429
2000 modern 4,770 #1,426
2001 modern 4,668 #1,421
2002 modern 4,780 #1,427
2003 modern 4,641 #1,432
2004 modern 4,650 #1,423
2005 modern 4,625 #1,412
2006 modern 4,603 #1,418
2007 modern 4,656 #1,417
2008 modern 4,732 #1,400
2009 modern 4,917 #1,385
2010 modern 5,079 #1,367
2011 modern 4,990 #1,373
2012 modern 4,895 #1,370
2013 modern 5,016 #1,360
2014 modern 5,109 #1,342
2015 modern 5,082 #1,341
2016 modern 5,085 #1,334

Geography

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Where Mccartneys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Ibrox, Drumoyne and Shieldhall, Govan and Linthouse, Liverpool and Cranhill, Lightburn and Queenslie South. 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 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ibrox Glasgow City
2 Drumoyne and Shieldhall Glasgow City
3 Govan and Linthouse Glasgow City
4 Liverpool 044 Liverpool
5 Cranhill, Lightburn and Queenslie South Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccartney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccartney

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

London Fringe

Within London, Mccartney is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Mccartney 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccartney

The surname McCartney originated in Scotland and is derived from the Gaelic personal name MacCartáin or MacArtan, meaning "son of Artan". Artan itself stems from the Old Norse Arnthor or Celtic Artán, meaning "bear-man" or "bear-warrior".

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century in the regions of Argyll and Ayrshire in western Scotland. Variations of the spelling included MacCartan, M'Cartan, and MacKerton. Records indicate the name was particularly prominent in Kintyre, a peninsula in Argyll.

In the 16th century, the MacCartney clan was recorded as one of the principal families in the parish of Kilcalmonell in Kintyre. A notable member was Sir Thomas MacCartney (born around 1535), a Scottish diplomat and scholar who served as Secretary to Queen Mary of Scotland.

The name appears in various historical manuscripts and charters in Scotland from the 13th to 15th centuries, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his conquest of Scotland.

During the 17th century, many McCarthys migrated from Scotland to Ulster in Northern Ireland, where the name became more common and often anglicized to McCartney or McCarthy. One prominent individual was George McCartney (1690-1760), an Irish-born Anglican bishop who served as Bishop of Raphoe in County Donegal.

Other notable McCarthys throughout history include Edmund McCartney (1811-1885), an Irish-born American architect who designed numerous buildings in New York City, and James McCartney (1835-1918), an Irish-born American businessman and founder of the McCartney Woollen Mills in New York.

In more recent times, the name gained global recognition with Sir Paul McCartney (born 1942), the legendary English singer, songwriter, and member of the iconic rock band The Beatles. Other famous McCarthys include writer and activist Mary McCartney (born 1969), Paul McCartney's daughter.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccartney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccartney 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 32 Mccartneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.49x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 32 2.49x
Cornwall 12 9.79x
Cumberland 11 11.80x
Yorkshire 11 1.03x
Derbyshire 8 4.72x
Northumberland 8 4.97x
Lanarkshire 7 2.00x
Ayrshire 5 6.17x
Durham 5 1.55x
Essex 5 2.34x
Middlesex 5 0.46x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.53x
Herefordshire 1 2.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heckmondwike in Yorkshire leads with 11 Mccartneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 318.84x.

Place Total Index
Heckmondwike 11 318.84x
Liverpool 9 11.53x
Budock 8 869.57x
Glossop Dale 8 100.76x
Toxteth Park 7 16.09x
Everton 6 14.65x
Lanark 6 212.77x
West Ham 5 10.60x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 39.22x
Bromley London 4 16.79x
Falmouth 4 92.17x
Harrington 4 353.98x
Whitehaven 4 80.48x
Ayr 3 78.53x
Kirkdale 3 13.88x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 31.19x
Byker 2 25.13x
Crossgate 2 141.84x
Dalmellington 2 84.03x
Gateshead 2 8.29x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 23.95x
Barony 1 1.13x
Birkdale 1 30.77x
Brill 1 208.33x
Cleator 1 25.77x
Hereford St Peter 1 84.03x
South Shields 1 34.84x
St Cuthbert W O 1 22.03x
St George Hanover Square 1 5.24x
Wallsend 1 19.57x
Walton On Hill 1 14.37x
Wigan 1 5.57x
Workington 1 18.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Emily 3
Sarah 3
Amelia 2
Annie 2
Elizth. 2
Jane 2
Susanna 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Cath. 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Hannah 1
J.C. 1
Jessie 1
Leonora 1
Margret 1
Nellie 1
Rebecca 1
Zella 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
William 6
Thomas 5
George 4
James 4
Hugh 3
Gabriel 2
Joseph 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Fras.Honor 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
Lewis 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Owen 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Richrd. 1
Robert 1
Willm. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Mccartney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccartney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,229 people were recorded with the Mccartney surname. That placed it at #1,994 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccartney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,085 in 2016. That gives Mccartney a modern rank of #1,334.

What does the Mccartney surname mean?

Son of Artán, from the Gaelic "Mac Artáin," likely referring to an Irish saint or mythological figure.

What does the Mccartney map show?

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