NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccaughan

Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Mac Eachaidh meaning "son of Eachaidh".

In the 1881 census there were 15 people recorded with the Mccaughan surname, ranking it #31,451 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 148, ranked #23,958, up from #31,451 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire, Dover and Basingstoke and Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccaughan is 179 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 886.7%.

1881 census count

15

Ranked #31,451

Modern count

148

2016, ranked #23,958

Peak year

2002

179 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccaughan had 15 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,451 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016, ranked #23,958.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 38 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mccaughan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccaughan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccaughan 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 15 #31,451
1891 historical 16 #32,868
1901 historical 38 #29,914
1911 historical 12 #32,302
1997 modern 136 #22,398
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 148 #22,020
2000 modern 167 #20,332
2001 modern 160 #20,616
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 162 #20,624
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 149 #22,013
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 149 #22,530
2009 modern 154 #22,536
2010 modern 162 #22,292
2011 modern 158 #22,473
2012 modern 149 #23,372
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 152 #23,631
2015 modern 147 #24,036
2016 modern 148 #23,958

Geography

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Where Mccaughans 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 Carmarthenshire, Dover, Basingstoke and Deane and Thanet. 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 Carmarthenshire 027 Carmarthenshire
2 Dover 005 Dover
3 Dover 003 Dover
4 Basingstoke and Deane 018 Basingstoke and Deane
5 Thanet 012 Thanet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccaughan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccaughan

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

Mccaughan 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

Mccaughan falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccaughan 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 Mccaughan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mccaughan

The surname McCaughan originated in Scotland and has its roots in the ancient Gaelic language. It is a variant of the name MacEachan, which means "son of Eachan." Eachan was a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "eachann," meaning "horse."

The name McCaughan first appeared in the historical records of Argyllshire, located in the western Scottish Highlands. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Gillecrist MacEachan, who was mentioned in a charter from the year 1263.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the McCaughans were a prominent family in the Clan MacDonald of Islay, one of the most powerful clans in the Hebrides islands off the west coast of Scotland. The name was also found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.

One of the earliest documented instances of the McCaughan surname was in the Black Book of Taymouth, a 15th-century manuscript that recorded the genealogies of Scottish clans. The book mentions a McCaughan chief named John McCaughan, who was a vassal of the Lord of the Isles in the early 1400s.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir James McCaughan, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Sir James was awarded lands in Ayrshire for his loyalty and bravery in battle.

In the 16th century, a branch of the McCaughan family settled in County Antrim, Ireland, during the Scottish Plantation of Ulster. One of the earliest recorded McCaughans in Ireland was Patrick McCaughan, who was granted lands near Ballymena in 1610.

Other notable McCaughans throughout history include:

1. Robert McCaughan (1773-1827), a Scottish poet and writer from Ayrshire. 2. John McCaughan (1810-1884), an Irish Presbyterian minister and educator who founded the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. 3. Samuel McCaughan (1843-1914), an Irish businessman and politician who served as Lord Mayor of Belfast. 4. William McCaughan (1876-1951), a Scottish artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits. 5. Eileen McCaughan (1924-2022), an Irish actress and writer who appeared in numerous films and television shows.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccaughan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccaughan 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. Kent leads with 3 Mccaughans recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.09x.

County Total Index
Kent 3 30.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rochester St Margaret in Kent leads with 3 Mccaughans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2727.27x.

Place Total Index
Rochester St Margaret 3 2727.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 1
Jane 1
Matilda 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 Mccaughan households.

Occupation Count
Dressmaker 2

FAQ

Mccaughan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccaughan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15 people were recorded with the Mccaughan surname. That placed it at #31,451 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccaughan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 148 in 2016. That gives Mccaughan a modern rank of #23,958.

What does the Mccaughan surname mean?

Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Mac Eachaidh meaning "son of Eachaidh".

What does the Mccaughan map show?

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