NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccook

A surname originating in Scotland, derived from the Gaelic "mac Cuach" meaning "son of the cook".

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Mccook surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 229, ranked #17,878, up from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Killean and Kilchenzie, Abernethy and Kincardine and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stevenston Hayocks, New Elgin West and Elgin Bishopmill East and Ladyhill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccook is 234 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 222.5%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

229

2016, ranked #17,878

Peak year

2010

234 bearers

Map years

4

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccook had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016, ranked #17,878.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 111 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mccook surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccook surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccook 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 9 #32,754
1997 modern 164 #19,944
1998 modern 177 #19,523
1999 modern 180 #19,454
2000 modern 189 #18,860
2001 modern 188 #18,652
2002 modern 204 #18,062
2003 modern 182 #19,215
2004 modern 192 #18,678
2005 modern 198 #18,279
2006 modern 208 #17,835
2007 modern 215 #17,633
2008 modern 221 #17,495
2009 modern 228 #17,486
2010 modern 234 #17,544
2011 modern 215 #18,379
2012 modern 221 #17,979
2013 modern 220 #18,324
2014 modern 225 #18,142
2015 modern 225 #18,050
2016 modern 229 #17,878

Geography

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Where Mccooks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Killean and Kilchenzie, Abernethy and Kincardine, Glasgow, Liverpool and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stevenston Hayocks, New Elgin West, Elgin Bishopmill East and Ladyhill, Denbighshire and Neath Port Talbot. 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 Killean and Kilchenzie Argyll
2 Abernethy and Kincardine Inverness
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stevenston Hayocks North Ayrshire
2 New Elgin West Moray
3 Elgin Bishopmill East and Ladyhill Moray
4 Denbighshire 015 Denbighshire
5 Neath Port Talbot 018 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccook

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccook

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Mccook surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mccook household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mccook 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

Mccook is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccook 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 Mccook 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mccook

The surname McCook originated in Ireland and Scotland, likely derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Cuag," which means "son of the cook." It dates back to the 12th century and was initially found in counties throughout Ireland and Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle, where it appears as "MacCuag" in 1187. The name is also found in the Book of Ballymote, a medieval Irish manuscript compiled in the late 14th century.

In Scotland, the name appears in various forms, such as "McCook," "McCuik," and "McCuick," in records from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable figure was Robert McCook (1566-1624), a Scottish minister and writer who authored several works on theology.

The McCook family established itself in the United States in the early 19th century, with several members achieving prominence in various fields. Daniel McCook (1798-1863) was a prominent Ohio farmer and the patriarch of the "Fighting McCooks," a family that produced fifteen Union Army officers during the American Civil War, including his sons Anson G. McCook (1835-1917) and Edwin S. McCook (1833-1869).

Other notable individuals with the surname include Alexander McDowell McCook (1831-1903), a Union Army general during the Civil War, and Anson N. McCook (1835-1923), a Union Army officer and lawyer who later served as the Secretary of the United States Senate.

In the United Kingdom, the name has been associated with various place names, such as McCook's Glen in County Down, Northern Ireland, and McCook's Brae in Ayrshire, Scotland, suggesting the surname's long-standing presence in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccook families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccook 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. Morayshire leads with 1 Mccooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 666.67x.

County Total Index
Morayshire 1 666.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dallas in Morayshire leads with 1 Mccooks recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.00x.

Place Total Index
Dallas 1 0.00x

FAQ

Mccook surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccook surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Mccook surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccook surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 229 in 2016. That gives Mccook a modern rank of #17,878.

What does the Mccook surname mean?

A surname originating in Scotland, derived from the Gaelic "mac Cuach" meaning "son of the cook".

What does the Mccook map show?

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