NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccosh

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic MacCuish meaning "son of the prosperous or successful one."

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Mccosh surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 257, ranked #16,485, up from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilbirnie, Ochiltree and Dundonald. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton, Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccosh is 267 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 100.8%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

257

2016, ranked #16,485

Peak year

2007

267 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccosh had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016, ranked #16,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 153 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccosh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccosh surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccosh 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 96 #17,594
1861 historical 94 #21,883
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 153 #18,078
1901 historical 124 #20,163
1911 historical 16 #31,804
1997 modern 240 #15,678
1998 modern 237 #16,272
1999 modern 244 #16,052
2000 modern 242 #16,101
2001 modern 240 #15,912
2002 modern 244 #16,085
2003 modern 256 #15,377
2004 modern 253 #15,583
2005 modern 259 #15,294
2006 modern 256 #15,496
2007 modern 267 #15,225
2008 modern 259 #15,688
2009 modern 260 #15,972
2010 modern 249 #16,837
2011 modern 252 #16,543
2012 modern 247 #16,661
2013 modern 238 #17,354
2014 modern 245 #17,140
2015 modern 256 #16,524
2016 modern 257 #16,485

Geography

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Where Mccoshs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilbirnie, Ochiltree, Dundonald, Govan Combination and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton, Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee, Cheshire West and Chester, Hambleton and The Calders. 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 Kilbirnie Ayr
2 Ochiltree Ayr
3 Dundonald Ayr
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton South Lanarkshire
2 Blair Atholl, Strathardle and Glenshee Perth and Kinross
3 Cheshire West and Chester 040 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Hambleton 004 Hambleton
5 The Calders City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccosh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccosh

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Mccosh is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccosh 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccosh

The surname McCosh originated in Scotland in the 16th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic surname MacCuish, which is derived from the Old Gaelic personal name "Cuisidhbhuidhe" meaning "pale or sallow complexion". The name was first recorded in the Hebrides islands off the west coast of Scotland.

The earliest known record of the McCosh surname dates back to 1578, when a John McCosh was listed in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. The name was also found in various Scottish church records and census records from the 16th to 18th centuries, with spellings such as MacCuish, McCuish, and McCosh.

One notable bearer of the McCosh surname was James McCosh (1811-1894), a Scottish philosopher and educator who served as the ninth president of the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University, from 1868 to 1888. He was instrumental in establishing the university's graduate program and expanding its curriculum.

Another notable figure was Andrew McCosh (1833-1917), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the McCosh and Company department store chain in New York City. He was also a prominent supporter of educational and cultural institutions, including Princeton University.

In the 19th century, the McCosh surname was found in various areas of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands and the Hebrides islands, as well as in the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Some places associated with the name include the Isle of Skye, where the MacCuish clan was historically located.

Other notable individuals with the McCosh surname throughout history include John McCosh (1805-1885), a Scottish minister and author; James McCosh (1838-1920), a Scottish-American mathematician and educator; and Andrew McCosh (1871-1947), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who served as president of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccosh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccosh 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. Ayrshire leads with 3 Mccoshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 136.99x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 3 136.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ayr in Ayrshire leads with 3 Mccoshs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3000.00x.

Place Total Index
Ayr 3 3000.00x

FAQ

Mccosh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccosh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Mccosh surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccosh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016. That gives Mccosh a modern rank of #16,485.

What does the Mccosh surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic MacCuish meaning "son of the prosperous or successful one."

What does the Mccosh map show?

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