NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccaughey

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Aughey or Mac Eachaidh, meaning "son of Eachaidh" (an old Irish personal name).

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Mccaughey surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 529, ranked #9,589, up from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gorbals and Hutchesontown, Laurieston and Tradeston and Barmulloch.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccaughey is 547 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 655.7%.

1881 census count

70

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

529

2016, ranked #9,589

Peak year

2010

547 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccaughey had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 529 in 2016, ranked #9,589.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mccaughey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccaughey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccaughey 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 9 #31,675
1861 historical 15 #31,942
1881 historical 70 #23,670
1891 historical 59 #29,325
1901 historical 132 #19,469
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 461 #9,886
1998 modern 473 #10,018
1999 modern 469 #10,139
2000 modern 485 #9,853
2001 modern 476 #9,814
2002 modern 510 #9,500
2003 modern 492 #9,598
2004 modern 505 #9,453
2005 modern 492 #9,553
2006 modern 484 #9,709
2007 modern 505 #9,496
2008 modern 506 #9,548
2009 modern 511 #9,685
2010 modern 547 #9,399
2011 modern 538 #9,444
2012 modern 525 #9,526
2013 modern 527 #9,652
2014 modern 536 #9,579
2015 modern 526 #9,654
2016 modern 529 #9,589

Geography

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Where Mccaugheys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination, Gateshead, 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 Gorbals and Hutchesontown, Laurieston and Tradeston, Barmulloch, Northampton and IZ11. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gorbals and Hutchesontown Glasgow City
2 Laurieston and Tradeston Glasgow City
3 Barmulloch Glasgow City
4 Northampton 001 Northampton
5 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccaughey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccaughey

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

Mccaughey is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccaughey falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mccaughey

The surname McCaughey has its origins in Ireland, where it emerged in the 16th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Athuaidh, which means "son of the people from the north." This suggests that the name may have originated in the northern regions of Ireland.

The earliest recorded instances of the McCaughey surname can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, which are records of royal letters patent issued in Ireland during the 16th century. These documents mention several individuals with variations of the name, such as McAughey, McGaughey, and McCaughey.

One of the earliest known bearers of the McCaughey name was Patrick McCaughey, who was born in County Down, Ireland, in the late 16th century. He was a landowner and is mentioned in records from the early 1600s.

In the 17th century, the McCaughey surname appeared in the Plantation of Ulster, a planned process of colonizing the northern province of Ulster with Protestant English and Scottish settlers. This led to the name becoming more widespread in counties like Antrim, Down, and Armagh.

A notable figure in the history of the McCaughey name was Reverend Thomas McCaughey, born in County Down in 1687. He was a Presbyterian minister and played a significant role in the development of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

Another prominent McCaughey was James McCaughey, born in County Antrim in 1829. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded the McCaughey Memorial Institute in Ballymena, which provided educational opportunities for the local community.

In the 19th century, the McCaughey surname gained recognition through the achievements of individuals like Sir Samuel McCaughey, born in County Down in 1835. He was a prominent politician and served as the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Australia, from 1887 to 1888.

Other notable individuals with the McCaughey surname include William McCaughey, born in County Antrim in 1869, who was a prominent architect and designed several important buildings in Ireland and the United States, and John McCaughey, born in County Down in 1891, who was a renowned scholar and professor of English at the University of Toronto.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccaughey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccaughey 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. Cumberland leads with 8 Mccaugheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.96x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 8 105.96x
Yorkshire 1 1.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cleator in Cumberland leads with 8 Mccaugheys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2580.65x.

Place Total Index
Cleator 8 2580.65x
Middlesbrough 1 88.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
Hugh 2
Charles 1
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Philip 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 Mccaughey households.

FAQ

Mccaughey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccaughey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Mccaughey surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccaughey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 529 in 2016. That gives Mccaughey a modern rank of #9,589.

What does the Mccaughey surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Aughey or Mac Eachaidh, meaning "son of Eachaidh" (an old Irish personal name).

What does the Mccaughey map show?

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