NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccombe

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "mac coam" meaning son of the crooked one.

In the 1881 census there were 199 people recorded with the Mccombe surname, ranking it #12,880 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 774, ranked #7,110, up from #12,880 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch and Cannock Chase.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccombe is 818 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 288.9%.

1881 census count

199

Ranked #12,880

Modern count

774

2016, ranked #7,110

Peak year

2010

818 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccombe had 199 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,880 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 774 in 2016, ranked #7,110.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 350 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccombe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccombe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccombe 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 130 #17,164
1881 historical 199 #12,880
1891 historical 250 #12,762
1901 historical 350 #10,439
1911 historical 171 #16,461
1997 modern 709 #7,181
1998 modern 731 #7,244
1999 modern 738 #7,239
2000 modern 743 #7,154
2001 modern 730 #7,118
2002 modern 729 #7,265
2003 modern 746 #7,049
2004 modern 744 #7,071
2005 modern 732 #7,087
2006 modern 741 #7,052
2007 modern 767 #6,926
2008 modern 784 #6,869
2009 modern 801 #6,882
2010 modern 818 #6,887
2011 modern 805 #6,911
2012 modern 768 #7,103
2013 modern 776 #7,148
2014 modern 788 #7,094
2015 modern 779 #7,082
2016 modern 774 #7,110

Geography

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Where Mccombes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Lambeth and Auchinleck. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch, Cannock Chase, Wakefield and Auchinleck. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Auchinleck Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 014 Doncaster
2 Garthamlock, Auchinlea and Gartloch Glasgow City
3 Cannock Chase 007 Cannock Chase
4 Wakefield 043 Wakefield
5 Auchinleck East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccombe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccombe

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

Mccombe 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccombe

The surname McCombe is of Scottish origin, originating in the late medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name 'Mac Combe', meaning 'son of the crooked one'. This name likely referred to an ancestor with a physical characteristic or deformity.

The earliest recorded instance of the McCombe surname can be traced back to the early 16th century in the Lanarkshire region of Scotland. The name appeared in various records and charters from that time, often spelled as 'McComb' or 'McCoumb'. It is believed that the McCombe family may have been associated with the historic lands of Cumbernauld in Lanarkshire.

In the 17th century, several McCombe families are recorded in the parish registers of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. Notably, John McCombe, born in 1642 in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, was a prominent merchant and landowner. His descendants continued to be influential in the region for several generations.

The McCombe surname also has a strong connection to the Scottish Highlands. In the late 18th century, Duncan McCombe, born in 1758 in Inverness-shire, was a renowned piper and composer of traditional Scottish music. His tunes, such as "The McCombe's Reel", have been preserved and performed to this day.

Another notable figure with the McCombe surname was Sir James McCombe, born in 1824 in Glasgow. He was a successful industrialist and philanthropist, contributing significantly to the development of the city's infrastructure and education system. Sir James McCombe's legacy includes the establishment of the McCombe Trust, which still provides educational support to this day.

Other significant individuals with the McCombe surname include Robert McCombe (1823-1909), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and William McCombe (1841-1916), an Irish-born American bishop of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Duluth, Minnesota, from 1909 until his death.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccombe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccombe 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. Cumberland leads with 9 Mccombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.90x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 9 42.90x
Essex 5 10.40x
Lancashire 5 1.73x
Surrey 5 4.21x
Kent 1 1.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Egremont in Cumberland leads with 9 Mccombes recorded in 1881 and an index of 1800.00x.

Place Total Index
Egremont 9 1800.00x
Barking 5 354.61x
Lambeth 5 23.54x
Liverpool 3 17.08x
Kirkdale 2 41.15x
Erith 1 121.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Alice 1
Alicia 1
Amie 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Matilda 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Robert 3
Charles 1
David 1
Francis 1
Frederick 1
James 1
John 1
Peter 1
Thomas 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 Mccombe households.

FAQ

Mccombe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccombe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 199 people were recorded with the Mccombe surname. That placed it at #12,880 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccombe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 774 in 2016. That gives Mccombe a modern rank of #7,110.

What does the Mccombe surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "mac coam" meaning son of the crooked one.

What does the Mccombe map show?

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