NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcclaren

Derived from the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Lòrainn" meaning son of the small-framed man.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Mcclaren surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 157, ranked #23,006, down from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Norton, Newcastle All Saints and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Ryedale and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcclaren is 160 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 101.3%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

157

2016, ranked #23,006

Peak year

2015

160 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcclaren had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016, ranked #23,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 121 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Mcclaren surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcclaren surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcclaren 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 101 #20,955
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 121 #20,444
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 149 #21,214
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 151 #21,740
2000 modern 156 #21,235
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 132 #23,459
2004 modern 126 #24,335
2005 modern 130 #23,848
2006 modern 137 #23,270
2007 modern 153 #21,912
2008 modern 159 #21,598
2009 modern 156 #22,351
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 146 #23,736
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 155 #23,108
2014 modern 158 #23,022
2015 modern 160 #22,701
2016 modern 157 #23,006

Geography

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Where Mcclarens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Norton, Newcastle All Saints, Manchester, Glasgow and Willerby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Ryedale and York. 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 Norton Yorkshire, North Riding
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Willerby Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 008 County Durham
2 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
3 York 012 York
4 Ryedale 001 Ryedale
5 Ryedale 002 Ryedale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcclaren

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcclaren

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcclaren, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Mcclaren surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Mcclaren household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mcclaren is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mcclaren 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

Mcclaren falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mcclaren

The surname McClaren originated in Scotland and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning son and "laren" which may have been a personal name or referred to a place name such as Laren or Laurencekirk. The earliest recorded spelling was MacLaren in the year 1292.

The McClaren name has strong links to Clan Labhran, a Highland Scottish clan from the regions of Balquhidder and Strathearn in Perthshire. The clan's ancestral lands were centered around the village of Balquhidder. Some historians believe the name may have originated from the Gaelic phrase "mac laren na puirt" meaning son of the lady of ports or passes, referring to a strategic mountain pass controlled by the clan.

Historical records mention a Sir John McClaren who was a Scottish knight and supporter of Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another notable figure was Sir Samuel McClaren, a 17th century Covenanter and soldier who fought for the Covenanters against King Charles I.

In the 16th century, the McClaren name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England following his invasion of Scotland in 1296. Some variations of the name included MacClaren, MacCloran, and MacClerene.

Other notable McClarens throughout history include Archibald McClaren (1694-1768), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and Ewan McClaren (1718-1781), a Scottish minister and author who wrote on religious topics. The McClaren name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland such as Claren, Clarenden, and Clarendon.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcclaren families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcclaren 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. Yorkshire leads with 7 Mcclarens recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.26x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 7 7.26x
Middlesex 3 3.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Norton In Malton in Yorkshire leads with 7 Mcclarens recorded in 1881 and an index of 5833.33x.

Place Total Index
Norton In Malton 7 5833.33x
Poplar London 3 163.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alaide 1
Daisy 1
Harriot 1
Matilda 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Francis 1
Herbert 1
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 Mcclaren households.

FAQ

Mcclaren surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcclaren surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Mcclaren surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcclaren surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016. That gives Mcclaren a modern rank of #23,006.

What does the Mcclaren surname mean?

Derived from the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Lòrainn" meaning son of the small-framed man.

What does the Mcclaren map show?

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