NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccotter

A surname derived from Scottish Gaelic "Mac Ò(gh)taire" meaning "son of the devotee or pilgrim".

In the 1881 census there were 30 people recorded with the Mccotter surname, ranking it #29,363 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 143, ranked #24,505, up from #29,363 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pumpherston and Uphall Station, Cornwall and Hammersmith and Fulham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccotter is 143 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 376.7%.

1881 census count

30

Ranked #29,363

Modern count

143

2016, ranked #24,505

Peak year

2016

143 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccotter had 30 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,363 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016, ranked #24,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 39 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccotter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccotter surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccotter 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 18 #31,580
1881 historical 30 #29,363
1891 historical 21 #32,526
1901 historical 39 #29,799
1911 historical 6 #33,255
1997 modern 131 #22,927
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 124 #24,378
2004 modern 124 #24,559
2005 modern 126 #24,287
2006 modern 126 #24,493
2007 modern 135 #23,824
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 138 #24,276
2010 modern 133 #25,379
2011 modern 131 #25,430
2012 modern 140 #24,376
2013 modern 135 #25,395
2014 modern 139 #25,093
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 143 #24,505

Geography

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Where Mccotters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pumpherston and Uphall Station, Cornwall, Hammersmith and Fulham, Coventry and South Gloucestershire. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pumpherston and Uphall Station West Lothian
2 Cornwall 058 Cornwall
3 Hammersmith and Fulham 019 Hammersmith and Fulham
4 Coventry 017 Coventry
5 South Gloucestershire 010 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccotter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccotter

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

Mccotter 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

Mccotter falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccotter is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mccotter

The surname McCotter is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Otter" or "Ottar." This name likely originated in the 12th or 13th century and was initially found in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland.

The name McCotter can be traced back to the ancient manuscript known as the Ragman Rolls, a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century. One notable early bearer of the name was Donald McCotter, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1502.

In the 16th century, the McCotter name appeared in various records, including the Presbytery Records of Lanark in 1593, which mentioned John McCotter. Another early reference can be found in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland from 1608, where a certain Robert McCotter was mentioned.

One of the earliest known McCotters was Alexander McCotter, who was born in Argyll, Scotland, around 1620. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Highlands and is recorded as having participated in the Jacobite uprisings of the late 17th century.

Another notable McCotter was Sir James McCotter (1678-1743), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1725 to 1737. He played a significant role in the prosecution of Jacobite rebels after the failed uprising of 1715.

In the 18th century, the McCotter name can be found in various records from the Isle of Islay, one of the Inner Hebrides islands of Scotland. The Reverend Archibald McCotter (1736-1804) was a well-known Presbyterian minister who served as the minister of Kilchoman Parish on the island of Islay from 1766 until his death.

The McCotter surname has also been associated with place names in Scotland, such as McCotter's Glen in Argyll and McCotter's Hill in Lanarkshire. These place names suggest that the McCotter family may have held lands or had a significant presence in these areas during earlier times.

While the surname McCotter is primarily Scottish in origin, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, likely due to migration and the spread of the Scottish diaspora over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccotter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccotter 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. Hampshire leads with 1 Mccotters recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.51x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 1 50.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Faith Winchester in Hampshire leads with 1 Mccotters recorded in 1881 and an index of 10000.00x.

Place Total Index
St Faith Winchester 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 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 Mccotter households.

Occupation Count
General Servant 1

FAQ

Mccotter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccotter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 30 people were recorded with the Mccotter surname. That placed it at #29,363 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccotter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 143 in 2016. That gives Mccotter a modern rank of #24,505.

What does the Mccotter surname mean?

A surname derived from Scottish Gaelic "Mac Ò(gh)taire" meaning "son of the devotee or pilgrim".

What does the Mccotter map show?

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