NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccloud

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Leòid," meaning "son of Leod," likely referring to a Viking ancestor.

In the 1881 census there were 183 people recorded with the Mccloud surname, ranking it #13,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 527, ranked #9,622, up from #13,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Warkworth and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Northumberland and Central Bedfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccloud is 527 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 188.0%.

1881 census count

183

Ranked #13,596

Modern count

527

2016, ranked #9,622

Peak year

2016

527 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccloud had 183 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016, ranked #9,622.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 291 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccloud surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccloud surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccloud 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 219 #9,712
1861 historical 240 #10,226
1881 historical 183 #13,596
1891 historical 186 #15,740
1901 historical 269 #12,518
1911 historical 291 #11,696
1997 modern 451 #10,049
1998 modern 457 #10,279
1999 modern 470 #10,120
2000 modern 451 #10,412
2001 modern 437 #10,482
2002 modern 453 #10,391
2003 modern 447 #10,343
2004 modern 450 #10,321
2005 modern 441 #10,368
2006 modern 456 #10,149
2007 modern 469 #10,028
2008 modern 465 #10,178
2009 modern 495 #9,942
2010 modern 519 #9,768
2011 modern 517 #9,719
2012 modern 518 #9,629
2013 modern 522 #9,713
2014 modern 525 #9,745
2015 modern 523 #9,694
2016 modern 527 #9,622

Geography

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Where Mcclouds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Warkworth, London parishes, Gateshead and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Northumberland and Central Bedfordshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Warkworth Northumberland
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 022 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Northumberland 021 Northumberland
3 Kingston upon Hull 007 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Kingston upon Hull 011 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Central Bedfordshire 008 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccloud

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccloud

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

Mccloud 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

Mccloud 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 Mccloud 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mccloud

The surname McCloud is of Scottish origin, originating in the 13th century from the Gaelic Mac Lòid or Mac Leòid, meaning "son of Leod". The name Leod is derived from the Old Norse name Ljótr, meaning "ugly" or "unlovely". The Clan MacLeod was one of the most powerful and influential clans in the Western Isles of Scotland, particularly on the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides.

The earliest recorded reference to the name McCloud dates back to the late 13th century in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where it appears as "MacLeod". The name is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document recording the names of Scottish noblemen who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.

One of the most notable figures in the history of the McCloud name was Sir Torquil MacLeod (c.1330-1390), a Scottish nobleman and chief of the Clan MacLeod. He played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, fighting alongside Robert the Bruce against the English.

Another prominent McCloud was William McCloud (1590-1661), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1648. He was a leading figure in the Presbyterian Church and played a pivotal role in the Scottish Reformation.

In the 18th century, John McCloud (1734-1799) was a Scottish-born American military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He served under General George Washington and was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

The name McCloud has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, the ancestral home of the Clan MacLeod, and the town of Glenelg, where the McCloud clan had a strong presence.

Other notable individuals with the surname McCloud include Sir Norman McCloud (1878-1955), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Kenya from 1944 to 1952, and David McCloud (1945-2022), an American actor and director best known for his role in the television series "The Outer Limits".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccloud families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccloud 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. Durham leads with 11 Mcclouds recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.25x.

County Total Index
Durham 11 10.25x
Hampshire 9 12.17x
Lancashire 6 1.40x
Middlesex 3 0.83x
Yorkshire 3 0.84x
Northumberland 2 3.73x
Cheshire 1 1.26x
Devon 1 1.33x
Essex 1 1.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 9 Mcclouds recorded in 1881 and an index of 111.94x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 9 111.94x
Portsea 9 62.11x
Kirkdale 4 55.56x
Bow London 3 65.36x
Sutton Stoneferry 3 294.12x
Liverpool 2 7.69x
East Stonehouse 1 67.57x
Elswick 1 23.36x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 21.51x
Monkseaton 1 1666.67x
Morton Palms 1 10000.00x
Stockport 1 24.39x
Woodford 1 123.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Charlotte 1
Dorothy 1
Elisa 1
Ellen 1
Flora 1
Georgina 1
Jane 1
Lydia 1
Rossanah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 3
William 2
Albert 1
Angus 1
Edward 1
Geo.Wm. 1
Henry 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Roderick 1
Stephen 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 Mccloud households.

FAQ

Mccloud surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccloud surname in 1881?

In 1881, 183 people were recorded with the Mccloud surname. That placed it at #13,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccloud surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 527 in 2016. That gives Mccloud a modern rank of #9,622.

What does the Mccloud surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Leòid," meaning "son of Leod," likely referring to a Viking ancestor.

What does the Mccloud map show?

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