NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccomb

A Scottish toponymic surname denoting someone from the town of McComb or a Gaelic patronymic meaning "son of Thomas."

In the 1881 census there were 361 people recorded with the Mccomb surname, ranking it #8,579 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 634, ranked #8,340, up from #8,579 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kilwinning West and Blacklands, Caldercruix and Plains and Keppochhill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccomb is 675 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.6%.

1881 census count

361

Ranked #8,579

Modern count

634

2016, ranked #8,340

Peak year

2010

675 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccomb had 361 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,579 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 634 in 2016, ranked #8,340.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 361 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccomb surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccomb surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccomb 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 285 #7,952
1861 historical 266 #9,318
1881 historical 361 #8,579
1891 historical 343 #9,994
1901 historical 320 #11,142
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 563 #8,516
1998 modern 557 #8,837
1999 modern 580 #8,632
2000 modern 577 #8,630
2001 modern 583 #8,454
2002 modern 611 #8,349
2003 modern 608 #8,244
2004 modern 606 #8,286
2005 modern 621 #8,056
2006 modern 623 #8,061
2007 modern 644 #7,920
2008 modern 637 #8,033
2009 modern 664 #7,945
2010 modern 675 #7,995
2011 modern 664 #8,021
2012 modern 627 #8,308
2013 modern 631 #8,407
2014 modern 627 #8,500
2015 modern 620 #8,505
2016 modern 634 #8,340

Geography

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Where Mccombs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kilwinning West and Blacklands, Caldercruix and Plains, Keppochhill, Ribble Valley and Bradford. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kilwinning West and Blacklands North Ayrshire
2 Caldercruix and Plains North Lanarkshire
3 Keppochhill Glasgow City
4 Ribble Valley 004 Ribble Valley
5 Bradford 012 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccomb

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccomb

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

Mccomb 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

Mccomb falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccomb 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mccomb

The surname McComb is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic surname Maccomb, which means 'son of Comb'. It is believed to have originated in the early 13th century in the region of Argyll, Scotland.

The name McComb is thought to be derived from the ancient Celtic personal name Comb or Camba, which itself is derived from the Gaelic word 'cam' meaning crooked or bent. This likely referred to a physical characteristic of an early bearer of the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McComb can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mention a Gillecrist Maccomb. The name also appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

The surname McComb is closely related to the Scottish surnames MacComb, Comb, and Camba, which are all variations of the same name. The spelling 'McComb' is thought to have become more common in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Notable individuals with the surname McComb throughout history include:

1. Sir John McComb (c. 1670-1718), a Scottish architect who was a leading figure in the development of Georgian architecture in Ireland.

2. David McComb (1738-1792), an American physician and prominent patriot during the American Revolutionary War.

3. Andrew McComb (1761-1835), a Scottish-born American merchant and land speculator who played a significant role in the early development of New York City.

4. William McComb (1793-1853), a Scottish-American architect who designed many notable buildings in New York City, including the New York City Halls of Justice and the Old New York Hospital.

5. John McComb (1787-1858), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.

The surname McComb has a rich history dating back to the early medieval period in Scotland, and it has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, including architecture, medicine, and politics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccomb families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccomb 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 6 Mccombs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 6 4.72x
Durham 3 9.40x
Cumberland 1 10.83x
Middlesex 1 0.93x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dawdon in Durham leads with 3 Mccombs recorded in 1881 and an index of 769.23x.

Place Total Index
Dawdon 3 769.23x
Everton 2 49.38x
Liverpool 2 25.87x
Toxteth Park 2 46.40x
Westminster St 1 250.00x
Whitehaven 1 204.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 2
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Jessie 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Christopher 1
James 1
Walter 1
William 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 Mccomb households.

FAQ

Mccomb surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccomb surname in 1881?

In 1881, 361 people were recorded with the Mccomb surname. That placed it at #8,579 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccomb surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 634 in 2016. That gives Mccomb a modern rank of #8,340.

What does the Mccomb surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname denoting someone from the town of McComb or a Gaelic patronymic meaning "son of Thomas."

What does the Mccomb map show?

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