NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccloy

From the Scottish Gaelic MacGille Bhuaidh meaning "son of the devotee of the victory".

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Mccloy surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 692, ranked #7,773, up from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central and Monmouthshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccloy is 707 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 874.6%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

692

2016, ranked #7,773

Peak year

2015

707 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccloy had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 692 in 2016, ranked #7,773.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 193 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccloy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccloy surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccloy 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 50 #24,274
1861 historical 62 #26,041
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 152 #18,163
1901 historical 193 #15,469
1911 historical 80 #24,821
1997 modern 587 #8,275
1998 modern 601 #8,384
1999 modern 625 #8,206
2000 modern 627 #8,163
2001 modern 623 #8,048
2002 modern 642 #8,032
2003 modern 608 #8,244
2004 modern 609 #8,257
2005 modern 620 #8,064
2006 modern 624 #8,046
2007 modern 640 #7,962
2008 modern 647 #7,942
2009 modern 661 #7,969
2010 modern 666 #8,091
2011 modern 680 #7,863
2012 modern 684 #7,749
2013 modern 687 #7,855
2014 modern 705 #7,728
2015 modern 707 #7,661
2016 modern 692 #7,773

Geography

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Where Mccloys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Girvan, Govan Combination, London parishes, Gateshead and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central, Monmouthshire, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and Viewpark. 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 Girvan Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 002 Doncaster
2 Port Glasgow Upper, West and Central Inverclyde
3 Monmouthshire 003 Monmouthshire
4 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
5 Viewpark North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccloy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccloy

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mccloy is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccloy 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccloy

The surname MCCLOY originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is a Scottish variant of the name McClay, derived from the Gaelic "mac Ladhaich" meaning "son of the claw." The name may have been a nickname referring to someone with a physical deformity or an aggressive personality.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the MCCLOY surname can be found in the historical records of Ayrshire, Scotland. The name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of written acts of homage to King Edward I of England, indicating the surname's presence in Scotland during the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, the MCCLOY surname was found in the parish records of Mauchline, Ayrshire, where a John McCloy was listed as a tenant farmer in 1541. The name also appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1590, suggesting the family's involvement in local affairs.

One notable bearer of the MCCLOY surname was Sir Robert McCloy (1570-1635), a Scottish merchant and financier who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1628 to 1630. Another prominent figure was Reverend Thomas McCloy (1670-1743), a Presbyterian minister who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

In the 18th century, the MCCLOY surname spread beyond Scotland as members of the family emigrated to other parts of the British Isles and North America. John McCloy (1710-1782), a Scottish immigrant, settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent landowner and businessman.

During the 19th century, the MCCLOY name gained recognition through individuals such as John McCloy (1815-1891), a Scottish-born industrialist and philanthropist who founded the McCloy Axe Company in the United States. Another notable figure was Reverend William McCloy (1840-1925), a Scottish-American clergyman and author who served as a chaplain during the American Civil War.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous bearers of the MCCLOY surname was John J. McCloy (1895-1989), an American lawyer, diplomat, and presidential adviser who played a crucial role in the reconstruction of post-World War II Germany and Japan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mccloy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccloy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Mccloy surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccloy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 692 in 2016. That gives Mccloy a modern rank of #7,773.

What does the Mccloy surname mean?

From the Scottish Gaelic MacGille Bhuaidh meaning "son of the devotee of the victory".

What does the Mccloy map show?

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