NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccombie

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ì̀omhair" meaning son of Ivor.

In the 1881 census there were 515 people recorded with the Mccombie surname, ranking it #6,619 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 810, ranked #6,839, down from #6,619 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rathen, Alford and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirriemuir, Stonehaven North and Westhill North and South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccombie is 849 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.3%.

1881 census count

515

Ranked #6,619

Modern count

810

2016, ranked #6,839

Peak year

2010

849 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccombie had 515 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,619 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 810 in 2016, ranked #6,839.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 670 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mccombie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccombie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccombie 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 284 #7,977
1861 historical 290 #8,686
1881 historical 515 #6,619
1891 historical 550 #6,881
1901 historical 670 #6,496
1911 historical 201 #14,905
1997 modern 749 #6,890
1998 modern 809 #6,699
1999 modern 825 #6,641
2000 modern 816 #6,676
2001 modern 782 #6,763
2002 modern 821 #6,634
2003 modern 795 #6,685
2004 modern 775 #6,843
2005 modern 768 #6,823
2006 modern 775 #6,801
2007 modern 798 #6,707
2008 modern 800 #6,743
2009 modern 830 #6,688
2010 modern 849 #6,699
2011 modern 826 #6,765
2012 modern 765 #7,123
2013 modern 789 #7,043
2014 modern 812 #6,902
2015 modern 807 #6,881
2016 modern 810 #6,839

Geography

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Where Mccombies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rathen, Alford, London parishes, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirriemuir, Stonehaven North, Westhill North and South, Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells and Crathes and Torphins. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rathen Aberdeen
2 Alford Aberdeen
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirriemuir Angus
2 Stonehaven North Aberdeenshire
3 Westhill North and South Aberdeenshire
4 Insch, Oyne and Ythanwells Aberdeenshire
5 Crathes and Torphins Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccombie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccombie

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mccombie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mccombie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mccombie 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

Mccombie 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

Mccombie falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccombie 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 Mccombie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mccombie

The surname McCombie is a Scottish name that originated in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Mac Conmhidh," which means "son of Conmhidh." The name Conmhidh itself is a Gaelic form of the Latin name "Comitus," meaning a companion or follower.

The McCombie name can be traced back to the 12th century in the Scottish Highlands. It was particularly prevalent in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Angus. The earliest known spelling variations of the name include MacCombie, MacComie, and MacKomye.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCombie name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1363, where a William MacComby is mentioned. In the 16th century, the name appears in the Records of the Presbytery of Brechin, where a Patrik McComye is listed in 1567.

The McCombie name is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 17th century, John McCombie (1620-1685) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and author who wrote against the Episcopalian system in the Church of Scotland.

Another notable figure was William McCombie (1805-1880), a Scottish farmer and agricultural innovator from Aberdeenshire. He is credited with being one of the pioneers of the modern cattle-breeding industry in Scotland.

In the 19th century, Charles McCombie (1835-1907) was a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the McCombie Trust, which provided educational opportunities for children in Aberdeenshire.

John McCombie (1844-1919) was a Scottish artist known for his landscape paintings of the Scottish Highlands. His works are held in collections such as the National Galleries of Scotland and the Aberdeen Art Gallery.

William McCombie (1890-1979) was a Scottish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire West constituency from 1935 to 1945.

The McCombie name has a rich history in Scotland, with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It has been associated with notable figures in various fields, including religion, agriculture, business, art, and politics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccombie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccombie 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. Middlesex leads with 11 Mccombies recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.13x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 11 5.13x
Northumberland 4 12.54x
Surrey 4 3.83x
Essex 2 4.72x
Lancashire 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 4 Mccombies recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.92x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 4 42.92x
Newington 4 50.51x
Wylam 4 5714.29x
Islington London 3 14.44x
Paddington London 3 38.07x
Leyton 2 273.97x
Bromley London 1 21.19x
Liverpool 1 6.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 3
Adelina 1
Agnes 1
Elenor 1
Ellen 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
William 2
George 1
Hugh 1
James 1
John 1
W. 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 Mccombie households.

FAQ

Mccombie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccombie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 515 people were recorded with the Mccombie surname. That placed it at #6,619 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccombie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 810 in 2016. That gives Mccombie a modern rank of #6,839.

What does the Mccombie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ì̀omhair" meaning son of Ivor.

What does the Mccombie map show?

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