NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcclelland

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "land of the servant of Fillan."

In the 1881 census there were 1,008 people recorded with the Mcclelland surname, ranking it #3,885 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,606, ranked #2,551, up from #3,885 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Kirkinner and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newton Stewart, Alloa South and East and Earlston and Hurlford Rural.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcclelland is 2,635 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 158.5%.

1881 census count

1,008

Ranked #3,885

Modern count

2,606

2016, ranked #2,551

Peak year

2014

2,635 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcclelland had 1,008 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,885 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,606 in 2016, ranked #2,551.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,248 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcclelland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcclelland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcclelland 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 545 #4,633
1861 historical 615 #4,330
1881 historical 1,008 #3,885
1891 historical 952 #4,349
1901 historical 1,248 #3,967
1911 historical 826 #5,343
1997 modern 2,317 #2,684
1998 modern 2,399 #2,706
1999 modern 2,435 #2,694
2000 modern 2,478 #2,637
2001 modern 2,436 #2,616
2002 modern 2,489 #2,629
2003 modern 2,390 #2,673
2004 modern 2,464 #2,603
2005 modern 2,455 #2,577
2006 modern 2,420 #2,616
2007 modern 2,488 #2,576
2008 modern 2,478 #2,606
2009 modern 2,519 #2,626
2010 modern 2,595 #2,615
2011 modern 2,544 #2,629
2012 modern 2,496 #2,623
2013 modern 2,586 #2,584
2014 modern 2,635 #2,555
2015 modern 2,619 #2,550
2016 modern 2,606 #2,551

Geography

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Where Mcclellands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Kirkinner, Manchester, Glasgow and Wigtown. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newton Stewart, Alloa South and East, Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Dalbeattie Rural and Gatehouse. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Kirkinner Wigtown
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Wigtown Wigtown

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newton Stewart Dumfries and Galloway
2 Alloa South and East Clackmannanshire
3 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire
4 Dalbeattie Rural Dumfries and Galloway
5 Gatehouse Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcclelland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcclelland

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

Mcclelland 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcclelland

The surname McClelland is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Gille Fhaolain, meaning "son of the servant of St. Fillan". It is believed to have originated in the region of Perthshire, Scotland, where the village of Killin was dedicated to St. Fillan.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a John McGillelane is mentioned in the records of the monastery of Inchaffray in Perthshire. The name appeared in various spellings throughout history, such as McGillellane, McGillelane, and McClellane, before settling on the modern form of McClelland.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Sir Patrick McClelland, who fought alongside Sir William Wallace during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. His descendant, Sir Robert McClelland, was a prominent soldier and landowner in the 16th century.

The McClelland family established themselves as landowners and tenants in the counties of Ayr, Kirkcudbright, and Wigtownshire in southwestern Scotland. In the 17th century, Samuel McClelland was a Presbyterian minister and leading figure in the Scottish Covenanters' struggle against the imposition of Episcopacy.

Another notable figure was John McClelland (1698-1743), a Presbyterian minister and author who emigrated from Ireland to Massachusetts in 1718. He played a significant role in the establishment of Presbyterianism in New England.

In the 19th century, George McClelland (1826-1885) was a respected American businessman and philanthropist, known for his support of educational institutions and the establishment of the McClelland Public Library in Pueblo, Colorado.

The surname McClelland has a rich history, with its roots firmly planted in the Scottish Highlands and its bearers leaving their mark on various fields, from military service and religious reforms to business and philanthropy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcclelland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcclelland 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 37 Mcclellands recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.13x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 37 3.13x
Durham 27 9.12x
Surrey 7 1.44x
Cheshire 6 2.73x
Yorkshire 6 0.61x
Hampshire 5 2.45x
Ayrshire 4 5.37x
Middlesex 3 0.30x
Northumberland 2 1.35x
Worcestershire 2 1.54x
Cumberland 1 1.17x
Kent 1 0.29x
Royal Navy 1 8.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 10 Mcclellands recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.58x.

Place Total Index
Everton 10 26.58x
Gateshead 10 45.13x
Bishopwearmouth 9 35.43x
Dalton Le Dale 8 20000.00x
Newington 7 19.05x
Barton Upon Irwell 6 67.49x
West Derby 6 17.38x
York St Mary Castlegate 6 2068.97x
Farnborough 5 233.64x
Latchford 5 342.47x
Manchester 5 9.42x
Ayr 4 113.96x
Kirkdale 4 20.14x
Toxteth Park 3 7.51x
Hammersmith London 2 8.16x
Liverpool 2 2.79x
Northfield 2 81.30x
Tynemouth 2 25.22x
Cheetham 1 11.36x
Hackney London 1 1.79x
St Cuthbert W O 1 23.98x
Wallasey 1 133.33x
Walmer 1 67.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 6
Elizabeth 5
Mary 5
Catherine 3
Jane 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Arrabella 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Florence 1
Florinda 1
Harriett 1
Jessie 1
Lilli 1
Louise 1
Maggie 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mcclelland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcclelland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,008 people were recorded with the Mcclelland surname. That placed it at #3,885 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcclelland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,606 in 2016. That gives Mcclelland a modern rank of #2,551.

What does the Mcclelland surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "land of the servant of Fillan."

What does the Mcclelland map show?

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