NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcclennan

Derived from Scottish Gaelic, meaning "son of the servant or monk".

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Mcclennan surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 156, ranked #23,098, up from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcclennan is 176 in 2005. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 155.7%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

156

2016, ranked #23,098

Peak year

2005

176 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcclennan had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016, ranked #23,098.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 81 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcclennan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcclennan surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mcclennan 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 16 #30,441
1861 historical 20 #31,364
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 51 #30,158
1901 historical 48 #28,808
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 159 #20,916
1999 modern 163 #20,698
2000 modern 167 #20,332
2001 modern 157 #20,884
2002 modern 154 #21,531
2003 modern 151 #21,574
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 176 #19,667
2006 modern 173 #19,995
2007 modern 175 #20,090
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 174 #20,782
2010 modern 171 #21,481
2011 modern 164 #21,900
2012 modern 155 #22,762
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 151 #23,745
2015 modern 154 #23,306
2016 modern 156 #23,098

Geography

Back to top

Where Mcclennans 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 Liverpool 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 Liverpool 040 Liverpool
2 Wirral 016 Wirral
3 Liverpool 061 Liverpool
4 Liverpool 035 Liverpool
5 Wirral 020 Wirral

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mcclennan

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mcclennan

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

Mcclennan 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

Mcclennan 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 Mcclennan 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcclennan

The surname McClennan is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic name MacGilleFhionain, which means "son of the servant of St. Finnan". St. Finnan was a 6th-century Irish missionary who founded several churches in Scotland.

The McClennan name is closely associated with the Clan MacLennan, one of the oldest clans in the Scottish Highlands. The clan's ancestral lands were in the area around Kintail and Lochalsh in the northwestern Highlands. Early spellings of the name included MacGillefhinnon, MacLennan, and MacClennan.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mentions a "Gillefinnon McRath". The Clan MacLennan is also mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

A notable early bearer of the name was Gillecrist MacGillefinnon, who is recorded as the Chief of the Clan MacLennan in the late 14th century. Another prominent MacLennan was Farquhar MacLennan, a 16th-century bard and poet who composed works praising the Clan Fraser, with whom the MacLennans had a close alliance.

In the 17th century, John MacClennan (1593-1661) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1648. During the same period, Archibald McClennan (1610-1680) was a merchant and landowner in Glasgow, who served as a baillie (municipal officer) of the city.

Later notable McClennan individuals include Alastair McClennan (1866-1936), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the McClennan Trust, which provided educational and medical assistance in the Highlands. Duncan McClennan (1880-1956) was a Scottish-Canadian farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mcclennan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcclennan 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 1 Mcclennans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.37x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1 4.37x
Northamptonshire 1 55.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hulme in Lancashire leads with 1 Mcclennans recorded in 1881 and an index of 208.33x.

Place Total Index
Hulme 1 208.33x
Northampton St Giles 1 1428.57x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Colin 1
Thomas 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 Mcclennan households.

FAQ

Mcclennan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcclennan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Mcclennan surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcclennan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 156 in 2016. That gives Mcclennan a modern rank of #23,098.

What does the Mcclennan surname mean?

Derived from Scottish Gaelic, meaning "son of the servant or monk".

What does the Mcclennan map show?

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