NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccole

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the young person".

In the 1881 census there were 74 people recorded with the Mccole surname, ranking it #23,062 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 418, ranked #11,472, up from #23,062 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lismore and Appin and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Toryglen and Oatlands, Shawfair and Carntyne West and Haghill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccole is 423 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 464.9%.

1881 census count

74

Ranked #23,062

Modern count

418

2016, ranked #11,472

Peak year

2014

423 bearers

Map years

5

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccole had 74 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,062 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 418 in 2016, ranked #11,472.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 116 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mccole surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccole surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccole 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 116 #15,545
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 74 #23,062
1891 historical 74 #27,538
1901 historical 99 #22,999
1911 historical 44 #28,454
1997 modern 357 #11,998
1998 modern 374 #11,963
1999 modern 372 #12,076
2000 modern 376 #11,928
2001 modern 378 #11,705
2002 modern 378 #11,939
2003 modern 360 #12,152
2004 modern 366 #12,053
2005 modern 374 #11,778
2006 modern 380 #11,666
2007 modern 389 #11,604
2008 modern 384 #11,851
2009 modern 402 #11,682
2010 modern 401 #11,973
2011 modern 396 #11,943
2012 modern 390 #11,946
2013 modern 410 #11,693
2014 modern 423 #11,488
2015 modern 417 #11,532
2016 modern 418 #11,472

Geography

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Where Mccoles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lismore and Appin, Govan Combination and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Toryglen and Oatlands, Shawfair, Carntyne West and Haghill, Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond and Riddrie and Hogganfield. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Lismore and Appin Argyll
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
2 Shawfair Midlothian
3 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City
4 Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond Perth and Kinross
5 Riddrie and Hogganfield Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccole

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccole

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mccole, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mccole surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mccole household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mccole is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccole is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccole 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 Mccole is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mccole

The surname McCole has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest known examples dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Colla, which means "son of Colla." Colla was a popular given name in medieval Ireland and is derived from the Old Irish word "colldha," meaning "strong" or "mighty."

The McCole name is most commonly associated with County Donegal in Ulster, where it was particularly prevalent in the baronies of Raphoe and Kilmacrenan. However, it also has strong roots in other parts of Ulster, such as County Derry and County Tyrone.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCole surname can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I, which were legal documents issued by the English government in Ireland. In these records, dated around 1594, there are references to individuals named "McCoole" and "M'Coole."

Another notable early mention of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals record the death of a man named "Aodh Mac Colla" in the year 1604.

In the 17th century, during the tumultuous period of the Confederate Wars and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, several individuals bearing the McCole surname are mentioned in various historical records. For example, a man named Phelim McCole is listed as a landowner in the Civil Survey of 1654-56, which documented the transfer of lands from Catholic to Protestant ownership in Ireland.

As the centuries passed, the McCole name spread beyond its Ulster origins, with members of the family establishing themselves in other parts of Ireland and abroad. One notable figure was John McCole (1738-1819), a successful merchant and landowner from County Donegal who served as High Sheriff of the county in 1795.

Another notable McCole was Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness McCole (1839-1911), a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor awarded for valor in the British Empire. McCole was born in County Donegal and earned his Victoria Cross for his actions during the Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1879.

In more recent times, the McCole surname has been carried by individuals such as James McCole (1924-2017), a Scottish-born author and journalist who wrote extensively about Irish history and culture. Additionally, Michael McCole (born 1962) is a prominent American attorney and legal scholar who has served as the Dean of the University of Vermont Law School.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccole families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccole 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 3 Mccoles recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.36x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 3 10.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Linthorpe in Yorkshire leads with 3 Mccoles recorded in 1881 and an index of 1764.71x.

Place Total Index
Linthorpe 3 1764.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ellen 1
Martha 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Peter 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 Mccole households.

FAQ

Mccole surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccole surname in 1881?

In 1881, 74 people were recorded with the Mccole surname. That placed it at #23,062 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccole surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 418 in 2016. That gives Mccole a modern rank of #11,472.

What does the Mccole surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the young person".

What does the Mccole map show?

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