NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcclellan

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place meaning "cape of the clans" in Gaelic.

In the 1881 census there were 360 people recorded with the Mcclellan surname, ranking it #8,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 569, ranked #9,045, down from #8,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Kensington and Chelsea and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcclellan is 597 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.1%.

1881 census count

360

Ranked #8,596

Modern count

569

2016, ranked #9,045

Peak year

2010

597 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcclellan had 360 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 569 in 2016, ranked #9,045.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 438 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mcclellan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcclellan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcclellan 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 266 #8,373
1861 historical 215 #11,316
1881 historical 360 #8,596
1891 historical 420 #8,528
1901 historical 438 #8,881
1911 historical 426 #8,856
1997 modern 523 #9,003
1998 modern 552 #8,909
1999 modern 553 #8,945
2000 modern 557 #8,860
2001 modern 545 #8,859
2002 modern 570 #8,740
2003 modern 554 #8,788
2004 modern 558 #8,775
2005 modern 548 #8,805
2006 modern 543 #8,903
2007 modern 549 #8,916
2008 modern 535 #9,155
2009 modern 566 #8,969
2010 modern 597 #8,814
2011 modern 581 #8,908
2012 modern 565 #8,993
2013 modern 571 #9,049
2014 modern 589 #8,930
2015 modern 589 #8,850
2016 modern 569 #9,045

Geography

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Where Mcclellans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Manchester, Egremont and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Kensington and Chelsea, Manchester, Knowsley and Bolton. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Egremont Cumberland
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 003 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Kensington and Chelsea 015 Kensington and Chelsea
3 Manchester 003 Manchester
4 Knowsley 010 Knowsley
5 Bolton 002 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcclellan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcclellan

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Mcclellan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcclellan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Mcclellan is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcclellan is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mcclellan

The surname McClellan is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic 'Mac Gill Fhaolain' which translates to 'son of the servant or follower of St. Fillan'. St. Fillan was a Scottish abbot and saint who lived in the 8th century. The name is closely associated with the areas of Perthshire and Argyllshire in Scotland.

Early references to the name can be found in the 14th century, with records of Andrew McClellan witnessing a charter in 1363. The name is also mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1488, where a 'Patrick McGillefelane' is recorded.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Sir William McClellan, who was granted lands in Kirkcudbright, Scotland in the 15th century. His descendants went on to establish themselves as a prominent family in that region.

In the 16th century, the McClellans were involved in the famous feud between the Maxwells and the Johnstones, with both sides claiming ownership of certain lands. This feud was a significant event in the history of the Scottish Borders during that period.

One of the most notable figures with the McClellan surname was George B. McClellan (1826-1885), a prominent American Civil War general who commanded the Union Army of the Potomac. His cautious approach and reluctance to engage in decisive battles led to his eventual removal from command.

Other historically significant McClellan individuals include John McClellan (1815-1892), an American politician who served as a representative from Pennsylvania, and John L. McClellan (1896-1977), a U.S. Senator from Arkansas who chaired the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

In literature, the McClellan name appears in the works of Sir Walter Scott, who featured characters with the surname in his novels 'The Antiquary' and 'Old Mortality'.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcclellan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcclellan 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 11 Mcclellans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.21x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 11 2.21x
Surrey 9 4.41x
Cumberland 7 19.40x
Bedfordshire 6 27.64x
Yorkshire 5 1.20x
Kent 3 2.10x
Northamptonshire 2 5.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Beckermet St John in Cumberland leads with 6 Mcclellans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6666.67x.

Place Total Index
Beckermet St John 6 6666.67x
Bedford St Paul 6 402.68x
Lambeth 6 16.42x
Kirkdale 4 47.79x
Toxteth Park 4 23.75x
Almondbury 3 149.25x
Battersea 3 19.44x
Deptford St Paul 3 27.20x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 50.63x
Daventry 2 357.14x
Barrowford Booth 1 181.82x
Dewsbury 1 23.47x
Heckmondwike 1 74.63x
Preston Quarter 1 99.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Annie 2
Clara 2
Elizabeth 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Jess 1
Maria 1
Rosa 1
Ruth 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

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 Mcclellan households.

FAQ

Mcclellan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcclellan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 360 people were recorded with the Mcclellan surname. That placed it at #8,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcclellan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 569 in 2016. That gives Mcclellan a modern rank of #9,045.

What does the Mcclellan surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place meaning "cape of the clans" in Gaelic.

What does the Mcclellan map show?

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