NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcchesney

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the cheese island."

In the 1881 census there were 121 people recorded with the Mcchesney surname, ranking it #17,671 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 296, ranked #14,882, up from #17,671 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, Govan Combination and Dailly. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Altonhill South, Longpark and Hillhead, Possil Park and IZ16.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcchesney is 296 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 144.6%.

1881 census count

121

Ranked #17,671

Modern count

296

2016, ranked #14,882

Peak year

2016

296 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcchesney had 121 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,671 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 296 in 2016, ranked #14,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 191 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcchesney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcchesney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcchesney 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 58 #22,928
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 121 #17,671
1891 historical 174 #16,520
1901 historical 191 #15,579
1911 historical 60 #26,808
1997 modern 266 #14,658
1998 modern 280 #14,550
1999 modern 283 #14,501
2000 modern 281 #14,567
2001 modern 277 #14,474
2002 modern 291 #14,275
2003 modern 284 #14,331
2004 modern 281 #14,489
2005 modern 280 #14,452
2006 modern 281 #14,500
2007 modern 288 #14,428
2008 modern 285 #14,647
2009 modern 289 #14,809
2010 modern 289 #15,127
2011 modern 282 #15,233
2012 modern 281 #15,198
2013 modern 289 #15,142
2014 modern 288 #15,285
2015 modern 288 #15,190
2016 modern 296 #14,882

Geography

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Where Mcchesneys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Altonhill South, Longpark and Hillhead, Possil Park, IZ16, New Cumnock and West Calder and Polbeth. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Girvan Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Dailly Ayr
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Altonhill South, Longpark and Hillhead East Ayrshire
2 Possil Park Glasgow City
3 IZ16 West Dunbartonshire
4 New Cumnock East Ayrshire
5 West Calder and Polbeth West Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcchesney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcchesney

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mcchesney is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcchesney 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcchesney

The surname McChesney has its origins in medieval Scotland, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Mac Gilla Énaí," which means "son of the servant of St. Énán." The name likely refers to an early bearer who served a church or monastery dedicated to the 6th-century Irish saint Énán.

The McChesney surname is first recorded in the early 13th century in the Scottish county of Ayrshire, where the family held lands and estates. The name appears in various early spellings, including McChenzie, McKechnie, and McKechany, reflecting the phonetic variations common in historical records.

In the 16th century, the McChesney family played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation, with James McChesney (c. 1530-1592) serving as a Protestant minister and supporter of John Knox. He was instrumental in establishing the Reformed Church in the town of Paisley.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any references to the McChesney name, as it was a distinctly Scottish surname that emerged later.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Parish Register of Beith, Ayrshire, where the birth of William McChesney is recorded in 1607. Another notable early bearer was Robert McChesney (c. 1640-1707), a Scottish minister and author who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1698.

Over the centuries, several individuals with the McChesney surname have achieved prominence in various fields. These include:

1. James McChesney (1780-1856), a Scottish-born American merchant and industrialist who established the McChesney Foundry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the early 19th century.

2. Sir John McChesney (1838-1907), a British civil engineer and railway contractor who oversaw the construction of numerous railways in India and South Africa.

3. Joseph McChesney (1856-1928), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania from 1909 to 1911.

4. Robert McChesney (1915-2004), an American author and scholar who specialized in the study of Irish literature and culture.

5. Dora McChesney (1870-1955), an American actress and vaudeville performer known for her comedic roles on Broadway and in silent films.

The McChesney surname has endured for centuries, with its roots firmly planted in Scotland's rich heritage and history, and its branches reaching across the globe as bearers of this name contributed to various fields and endeavors.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcchesney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcchesney 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 7 Mcchesneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 92.72x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 7 92.72x
Ayrshire 2 30.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Caldewgate in Cumberland leads with 7 Mcchesneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1707.32x.

Place Total Index
Caldewgate 7 1707.32x
Girvan 2 1250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 1
Frances 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1
John 1
Robert 1
Thomas 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 Mcchesney households.

FAQ

Mcchesney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcchesney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 121 people were recorded with the Mcchesney surname. That placed it at #17,671 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcchesney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 296 in 2016. That gives Mcchesney a modern rank of #14,882.

What does the Mcchesney surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "the cheese island."

What does the Mcchesney map show?

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