NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcclue

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Lughaidh, meaning "son of Lughaidh."

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Mcclue surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Auchinleck, Cumnock South and Craigens and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcclue is 141 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 158.8%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

2011

141 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcclue had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 81 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcclue surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcclue surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mcclue 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 43 #25,518
1861 historical 72 #24,643
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 81 #25,130
1911 historical 10 #32,609
1997 modern 124 #23,669
1998 modern 136 #23,013
1999 modern 139 #22,884
2000 modern 136 #23,155
2001 modern 138 #22,647
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 126 #24,146
2004 modern 124 #24,559
2005 modern 134 #23,406
2006 modern 124 #24,750
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 129 #25,314
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 141 #24,294
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 131 #25,932
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

Back to top

Where Mcclues 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 Auchinleck, Cumnock South and Craigens, West Lindsey, Cumnock Rural and Pollok North and East. 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 Auchinleck East Ayrshire
2 Cumnock South and Craigens East Ayrshire
3 West Lindsey 006 West Lindsey
4 Cumnock Rural East Ayrshire
5 Pollok North and East Glasgow City

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mcclue

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mcclue

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

Mcclue 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

Mcclue 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 Mcclue is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcclue

The surname McClue has its origins traced back to Scotland, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name 'Lughaidh', which translates to "follower of Lugh", a significant figure in Irish mythology. The prefix 'Mc' is a contraction of the Gaelic word 'mac', meaning "son of".

The earliest known recording of the surname McClue can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls that recorded the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. This document mentions a 'Malcolm McLoghy', which is believed to be an early variation of the McClue name.

During the 16th century, the McClue family was well-established in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. Historical records from this period, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, mention several individuals bearing the McClue surname, including John McClue, a landowner in Argyll in 1548.

One notable figure in the history of the McClue surname was Sir James McClue, a Scottish military commander who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms during the 17th century. Born in 1610 in Inverness, he served as a colonel in the Scottish Covenanter army and played a crucial role in several battles against the Royalist forces.

In the 18th century, the McClue family began to spread beyond Scotland, with some members migrating to Ireland and subsequently to North America. One such individual was Robert McClue, born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1745. He later settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a captain in the Continental Army.

Another notable McClue was James McClue, a Scottish poet and author born in Glasgow in 1835. He published several volumes of poetry and prose, including "Poems and Songs" (1873) and "The Thistle and the Rose" (1885), which celebrated Scottish culture and literary traditions.

Over the centuries, the McClue surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as MacClue, McClew, and McClough, reflecting the regional dialects and language changes across Scotland and Ireland. Despite these variations, the name's roots can be traced back to its Gaelic origins and the historical legacy of the McClue family in Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mcclue families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcclue 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. Yorkshire leads with 1 Mcclues recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.47x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1 10.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Driffield in Yorkshire leads with 1 Mcclues recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
Great Driffield 1 5000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Rose 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 Mcclue households.

Occupation Count
Servant (Dom) 1

FAQ

Mcclue surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcclue surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Mcclue surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcclue surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Mcclue a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Mcclue surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Lughaidh, meaning "son of Lughaidh."

What does the Mcclue map show?

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