NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccauley

Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Amhalghaidh," meaning "son of Amhalghaidh," a personal name of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 364 people recorded with the Mccauley surname, ranking it #8,525 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,479, ranked #4,164, up from #8,525 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenock East, Allerdale and Cardonald South and East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccauley is 1,501 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 306.3%.

1881 census count

364

Ranked #8,525

Modern count

1,479

2016, ranked #4,164

Peak year

2011

1,501 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccauley had 364 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,525 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,479 in 2016, ranked #4,164.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 425 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccauley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccauley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccauley 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 156 #14,813
1881 historical 364 #8,525
1891 historical 364 #9,538
1901 historical 425 #9,081
1911 historical 220 #14,088
1997 modern 1,364 #4,218
1998 modern 1,426 #4,213
1999 modern 1,489 #4,112
2000 modern 1,475 #4,121
2001 modern 1,426 #4,155
2002 modern 1,443 #4,195
2003 modern 1,372 #4,290
2004 modern 1,353 #4,343
2005 modern 1,383 #4,229
2006 modern 1,385 #4,230
2007 modern 1,385 #4,263
2008 modern 1,403 #4,255
2009 modern 1,437 #4,247
2010 modern 1,498 #4,187
2011 modern 1,501 #4,154
2012 modern 1,454 #4,190
2013 modern 1,473 #4,210
2014 modern 1,478 #4,217
2015 modern 1,475 #4,197
2016 modern 1,479 #4,164

Geography

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Where Mccauleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Greenock East, Allerdale, Cardonald South and East, Renfrew West and Carmondean and Eliburn North. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenock East Inverclyde
2 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
3 Cardonald South and East Glasgow City
4 Renfrew West Renfrewshire
5 Carmondean and Eliburn North West Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccauley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccauley

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mccauley 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

Mccauley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccauley

The surname McCauley is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Mac Amhalghaidh, meaning "son of Amhalgaidh". The name Amhalgaidh is thought to be a compound of the Old Irish elements "amhal" meaning "bright" and "gaidh" meaning "dangerous".

The McCauley name can be traced back to the ancient Irish kingdom of Ui Fiachrach Aidne, located in what is now County Galway, Ireland. The name is first recorded in the Irish Annals in the 12th century, with references to various chieftains and noblemen bearing the name.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the McCauley surname is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, an extensive chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a McCauley chieftain named Conchobhar Mac Amhalghaidh, who was killed in battle in 1184.

In the 16th century, the McCauleys were among the leading families of the Gaelic nobility in County Galway. They were prominent in the Irish confederacy that sought to resist the English conquest of Ireland during the Nine Years' War (1594-1603). A notable figure from this period was Cormac McCauley, a gallowglass (elite mercenary) who fought alongside the Irish chieftain Hugh O'Donnell.

Another significant figure in McCauley history was Donough McCauley, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a landowner and leader of the McCauley clan in County Galway. In 1607, he was among the Irish leaders who attended the Flight of the Earls, a pivotal event in which several Gaelic lords fled Ireland in the face of increasing English control.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many McCauleys were forced to surrender their lands as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent Penal Laws against Catholics. Some McCauleys emigrated to continental Europe, while others joined the Irish diaspora in countries like France, Spain, and Austria, where they served in the Irish Brigades of various European armies.

One celebrated McCauley was Edward Francis McCauley (1783-1864), an Irish-born sculptor who worked in London and Rome. He was renowned for his neoclassical sculptures and busts, including works depicting British nobility and prominent figures like Lord Byron.

As the McCauley surname spread beyond Ireland, it acquired various spellings such as McCawley, Macaulay, and Macauley. However, the original Irish form of McCauley remains prominent and is still widely used today, both in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccauley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccauley 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 48 Mccauleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.03x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 48 7.03x
Denbighshire 7 32.20x
Berkshire 1 2.31x
Middlesex 1 0.17x
Westmorland 1 7.91x
Yorkshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 19 Mccauleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 45.81x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 19 45.81x
West Derby 9 45.05x
Manchester 8 26.05x
Wrexham Regis 7 434.78x
Barrow In Furness 3 32.29x
Newchurch 3 53.67x
Heaton Norris 2 51.41x
Salford 2 9.96x
Bromley London 1 7.90x
Cheetham 1 19.65x
Everton 1 4.59x
Kirkby Stephen 1 303.03x
Old Windsor 1 200.00x
Sheffield 1 5.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Annie 4
Ellen 3
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Isabella 2
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Emiley 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Roseina 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
James 3
Edward 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Charles 1
Charls 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Donald 1
Fredrick 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Neil 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Roderick 1
Samuel 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 Mccauley households.

FAQ

Mccauley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccauley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 364 people were recorded with the Mccauley surname. That placed it at #8,525 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccauley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,479 in 2016. That gives Mccauley a modern rank of #4,164.

What does the Mccauley surname mean?

Derived from the Gaelic "Mac Amhalghaidh," meaning "son of Amhalghaidh," a personal name of uncertain origin.

What does the Mccauley map show?

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