NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccoy

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Aodha," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire").

In the 1881 census there were 1,185 people recorded with the Mccoy surname, ranking it #3,399 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,059, ranked #2,204, up from #3,399 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccoy is 3,129 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 158.1%.

1881 census count

1,185

Ranked #3,399

Modern count

3,059

2016, ranked #2,204

Peak year

2010

3,129 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccoy had 1,185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,399 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,059 in 2016, ranked #2,204.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,475 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccoy surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccoy surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccoy 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 561 #4,515
1861 historical 556 #4,739
1881 historical 1,185 #3,399
1891 historical 1,144 #3,723
1901 historical 1,475 #3,467
1911 historical 1,402 #3,446
1997 modern 2,709 #2,360
1998 modern 2,871 #2,337
1999 modern 2,900 #2,334
2000 modern 2,906 #2,315
2001 modern 2,888 #2,283
2002 modern 2,941 #2,292
2003 modern 2,859 #2,298
2004 modern 2,874 #2,294
2005 modern 2,869 #2,263
2006 modern 2,849 #2,279
2007 modern 2,895 #2,266
2008 modern 2,939 #2,239
2009 modern 3,014 #2,237
2010 modern 3,129 #2,205
2011 modern 3,095 #2,204
2012 modern 3,033 #2,203
2013 modern 3,060 #2,219
2014 modern 3,081 #2,220
2015 modern 3,049 #2,220
2016 modern 3,059 #2,204

Geography

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Where Mccoys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Gateshead, Manchester and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool and County Durham. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
2 County Durham 040 County Durham
3 County Durham 036 County Durham
4 Liverpool 021 Liverpool
5 Liverpool 044 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccoy

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccoy

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

Mccoy 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccoy

The surname McCoy has its origins in Ireland and Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Cuithigh," which means "son of the queer or peculiar one."

The name is believed to have originated in counties Derry and Donegal in Ulster, Ireland, where it was first recorded as McCoy or McKoy. It later spread to other parts of Ireland and Scotland. Similar spellings include McCoy, McKoy, McQuoy, and McCooey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it appears as "Mac Cuithigh" in the 16th century. The name is also found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of letters patent issued by the English Crown, dating back to the late 16th century.

Notable historical figures with the surname McCoy include:

1. James McCoy (1830-1896), an Irish-born American businessman and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Iowa. 2. Sarah McCoy (1841-1927), an American educator and suffragist from Kentucky. 3. Angie McCoy (1872-1954), an American actress and vaudeville performer known for her comic roles. 4. John McCoy (1911-1989), an American Major League Baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox. 5. Tim McCoy (1891-1978), an American actor and director who appeared in many Western films and television shows.

The name has also been associated with various place names, such as McCoy's Ferry in Pennsylvania and McCoy's Creek in Ohio, which were named after early settlers with the McCoy surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccoy families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccoy 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. Lancashire leads with 75 Mccoys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 75 3.18x
Durham 23 3.89x
Warwickshire 19 3.79x
Yorkshire 18 0.91x
Middlesex 13 0.65x
Gloucestershire 9 2.31x
Hampshire 7 1.72x
Surrey 7 0.72x
Dorset 6 4.59x
Kent 5 0.74x
Staffordshire 5 0.74x
Cumberland 4 2.33x
Sussex 4 1.19x
Cheshire 2 0.46x
Worcestershire 2 0.77x
Cornwall 1 0.44x
Essex 1 0.25x
Northumberland 1 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.37x
Royal Navy 1 4.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 24 Mccoys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.74x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 24 16.74x
Everton 19 25.25x
Birmingham 16 9.57x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 39.00x
Beverley St Mary 9 312.50x
Toxteth Park 9 11.26x
Hulme 7 14.20x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 6 84.03x
Portland 6 85.47x
Wolsingham 6 111.32x
Barnsley 5 24.58x
Battersea 4 5.46x
Gateshead 4 9.03x
Ormskirk 4 88.50x
Subdeanery 4 156.86x
Whitehaven 4 43.81x
Aston 3 2.17x
Holy Trinity 3 6.33x
Merrington 3 263.16x
Newcastle Under Lyme 3 25.25x
Newport 3 135.75x
Plumstead 3 13.26x
Portsea 3 3.75x
St Marylebone London 3 2.82x
Birkenhead 2 5.71x
Clifton 2 10.14x
Isleworth 2 22.60x
Kings Norton 2 8.58x
Kirkdale 2 5.04x
Manchester 2 1.88x
Norwood 2 43.96x
Oldham 2 2.62x
Aighton Bailey 1 87.72x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.11x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 5.33x
Caterham 1 23.31x
Chatham 1 5.35x
Chislehurst 1 27.47x
Ealing 1 5.62x
Elswick 1 4.23x
Eston 1 23.31x
Farnborough 1 23.36x
Garston 1 14.35x
Gloucester St Catherine 1 90.91x
Hackney London 1 0.90x
Hammersmith London 1 2.04x
Kensington London 1 0.90x
Kingston On Thames 1 4.29x
Lancaster 1 7.12x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.44x
Salford 1 1.44x
St Austell 1 12.99x
St George Martyr 1 29.85x
Tettenhall 1 24.33x
West Ham 1 1.15x
Westminster St John 1 4.13x
Weybridge 1 48.08x
Wolverhampton 1 1.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Ann 7
Elizabeth 7
Jane 7
Margaret 5
Sarah 5
Annie 4
Catherine 4
Alice 3
Agnes 2
Bella 2
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Kate 2
Marey 2
Winifred 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Catherne 1
Cathrine 1
Cela 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Flora 1
Harriett 1
Honora 1
Jessie 1
Lydia 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Matilda 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Selina 1
Teresa 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
William 17
Thomas 13
James 9
Patrick 6
David 5
Robert 4
Edward 3
Francis 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Charles 2
Edwin 2
George 2
Arthur 1
Barnard 1
Bernard 1
Daniel 1
Daul 1
Frank 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Jos. 1
Joseph 1
Josh. 1
Michael 1
Willm.P. 1

FAQ

Mccoy surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccoy surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,185 people were recorded with the Mccoy surname. That placed it at #3,399 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccoy surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,059 in 2016. That gives Mccoy a modern rank of #2,204.

What does the Mccoy surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Aodha," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire").

What does the Mccoy map show?

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