NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcchrystal

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic 'Mac Gillechriosd', meaning "son of the servant of Christ".

In the 1881 census there were 16 people recorded with the Mcchrystal surname, ranking it #31,301 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 177, ranked #21,230, up from #31,301 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Charnwood, Doncaster and Rosebank and Waterside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcchrystal is 189 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1006.3%.

1881 census count

16

Ranked #31,301

Modern count

177

2016, ranked #21,230

Peak year

2014

189 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcchrystal had 16 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,301 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016, ranked #21,230.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 65 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcchrystal surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcchrystal surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcchrystal 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 19 #31,470
1881 historical 16 #31,301
1891 historical 38 #31,330
1901 historical 65 #26,917
1911 historical 35 #29,478
1997 modern 163 #20,038
1998 modern 170 #20,030
1999 modern 173 #19,935
2000 modern 171 #20,044
2001 modern 170 #19,838
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 180 #19,347
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 169 #20,153
2006 modern 167 #20,447
2007 modern 166 #20,811
2008 modern 170 #20,672
2009 modern 181 #20,277
2010 modern 179 #20,886
2011 modern 175 #21,035
2012 modern 175 #20,984
2013 modern 187 #20,436
2014 modern 189 #20,441
2015 modern 187 #20,502
2016 modern 177 #21,230

Geography

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Where Mcchrystals 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 Charnwood, Doncaster, Rosebank and Waterside, Balmalloch and Wirral. 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 Charnwood 016 Charnwood
2 Doncaster 027 Doncaster
3 Rosebank and Waterside East Dunbartonshire
4 Balmalloch North Lanarkshire
5 Wirral 007 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcchrystal

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcchrystal

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mcchrystal is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcchrystal 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

Mcchrystal 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 Mcchrystal is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcchrystal, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcchrystal

The surname McChrystal is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Crìostaìdh" meaning "son of Christopher." It is a patronymic surname, indicating a paternal lineage.

The name can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the areas around Argyll and the Hebrides. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various Scottish clan records and parish registers.

One of the earliest documented references to the McChrystal name is found in the "Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland" from 1532, which mentions a "Gilchrist McCrystall" who was a tenant in Bute.

In the 17th century, the McChrystal name appears in the records of the Scottish Parliament, with a John McChrystal listed as a commissioner from Argyll in 1681.

Notable individuals with the McChrystal surname include Sir John McChrystal (1640-1718), a Scottish soldier who served in the Jacobite risings and was awarded a baronetcy for his loyalty to the House of Stuart. Another notable figure was Robert McChrystal (1798-1878), a Scottish-born Australian politician and landowner who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

In the United States, one of the earliest documented instances of the McChrystal name is found in the records of the American Revolution. John McChrystal (1755-1834) served as a private in the Pennsylvania Militia during the Revolutionary War.

Other significant individuals with the McChrystal surname include Stanley A. McChrystal (born 1954), a retired United States Army general who served as the Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan, and Calum McChrystal (born 1985), a Scottish professional football player who has played for various clubs in Scotland and England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcchrystal families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcchrystal 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. Hampshire leads with 1 Mcchrystals recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.51x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 1 50.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 1 Mcchrystals recorded in 1881 and an index of 256.41x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 1 256.41x

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 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 Mcchrystal households.

Occupation Count
Late Sailor 1

FAQ

Mcchrystal surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcchrystal surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16 people were recorded with the Mcchrystal surname. That placed it at #31,301 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcchrystal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 177 in 2016. That gives Mcchrystal a modern rank of #21,230.

What does the Mcchrystal surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic 'Mac Gillechriosd', meaning "son of the servant of Christ".

What does the Mcchrystal map show?

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