NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcclean

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Eáin," meaning "son of the servant of John."

In the 1881 census there were 618 people recorded with the Mcclean surname, ranking it #5,698 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,630, ranked #3,816, up from #5,698 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Manchester and Old Luce. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Derbyshire Dales and Gloucester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcclean is 1,691 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 163.8%.

1881 census count

618

Ranked #5,698

Modern count

1,630

2016, ranked #3,816

Peak year

2010

1,691 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcclean had 618 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,698 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,630 in 2016, ranked #3,816.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 618 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcclean surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcclean surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcclean 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 427 #5,726
1861 historical 384 #6,667
1881 historical 618 #5,698
1891 historical 434 #8,290
1901 historical 452 #8,676
1911 historical 407 #9,176
1997 modern 1,465 #3,993
1998 modern 1,550 #3,941
1999 modern 1,573 #3,919
2000 modern 1,534 #3,987
2001 modern 1,502 #3,979
2002 modern 1,563 #3,941
2003 modern 1,472 #4,062
2004 modern 1,495 #4,016
2005 modern 1,514 #3,931
2006 modern 1,538 #3,865
2007 modern 1,566 #3,829
2008 modern 1,600 #3,793
2009 modern 1,669 #3,742
2010 modern 1,691 #3,779
2011 modern 1,653 #3,812
2012 modern 1,588 #3,878
2013 modern 1,630 #3,855
2014 modern 1,649 #3,834
2015 modern 1,628 #3,840
2016 modern 1,630 #3,816

Geography

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Where Mccleans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Manchester, Old Luce, Liverpool and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Derbyshire Dales, Gloucester and Kingston upon Hull. 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 Manchester Lancashire
3 Old Luce Wigtown
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 020 Rotherham
2 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
3 Gloucester 004 Gloucester
4 Kingston upon Hull 029 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Rotherham 018 Rotherham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcclean

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcclean

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

Mcclean 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcclean

The surname McClean is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic "Mac Lìomhain" meaning "son of the lithi (grey) one". It is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll, Scotland in the late 12th century. Early records show various spellings such as MacLean, MacClean, and McLean.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls rendered to King Edward I of England. The document lists several individuals with the surname McClean from the Argyll region. Another historical record, the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, mentions a "Gilliemore MacLean" from the same area.

The McClean surname is closely associated with the Clan MacLean, a powerful Highland clan that played a significant role in Scottish history. The clan's ancestral lands were centered around the island of Mull and the surrounding areas. One notable bearer of the name was Lachlan Mor McLean (c.1510-1598), a prominent chief of the Clan MacLean.

In the 16th century, the McClean name began to spread beyond Scotland as members of the clan migrated to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the Americas. For example, Sir Allan McClean (1573-1661) was a Scottish soldier who served in the English army and later settled in Ireland.

Another distinguished bearer of the McClean surname was John McClean (1761-1825), a Scottish-born British naval officer who rose to the rank of Admiral of the Red. He served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the McClean name can be found in the records of the Virginia Colony in the late 17th century. Thomas McClean (c.1670-1738) was a Scottish immigrant who settled in Virginia and became a prominent landowner and politician.

Throughout history, the McClean surname has been associated with various professions, including military leaders, politicians, writers, and artists. For example, Archibald McClean (1853-1929) was a Scottish-born American painter known for his landscape paintings of the American West.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcclean families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcclean 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 27 Mccleans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.29x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 27 3.29x
Cumberland 12 20.13x
Middlesex 11 1.59x
Bedfordshire 4 11.16x
Staffordshire 3 1.28x
Sussex 3 2.57x
Essex 2 1.46x
Kent 2 0.85x
Caernarfonshire 1 3.57x
Cornwall 1 1.28x
Gloucestershire 1 0.74x
Isle of Man 1 7.78x
Lincolnshire 1 0.90x
Nottinghamshire 1 1.07x
Warwickshire 1 0.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 11 Mccleans recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.77x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 11 29.77x
Everton 10 38.20x
Harrington 7 972.22x
Hackney London 6 15.46x
Liverpool 6 12.02x
Dunstable 4 363.64x
Fulham London 4 39.84x
Brighton 3 12.74x
Newcastle Under Lyme 3 72.46x
Speldhurst 2 166.67x
Springfield 2 333.33x
Whitehaven 2 62.89x
Workington 2 58.65x
Bangor 1 37.04x
Braddan 1 142.86x
Caldewgate 1 30.58x
Falmouth 1 36.10x
Lenton 1 45.45x
Spalding 1 45.45x
St Marylebone London 1 2.70x
Stapleton 1 38.76x
Sutton Coldfield 1 54.35x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Arthur 3
Edward 2
George 2
James 2
Matthew 2
Robert 2
Wm. 2
David 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Hector 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Mary 1
Nathaniel 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 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 Mcclean households.

FAQ

Mcclean surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcclean surname in 1881?

In 1881, 618 people were recorded with the Mcclean surname. That placed it at #5,698 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcclean surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,630 in 2016. That gives Mcclean a modern rank of #3,816.

What does the Mcclean surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Eáin," meaning "son of the servant of John."

What does the Mcclean map show?

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