NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccready

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Rèidh" meaning "son of Ried" (an old personal name).

In the 1881 census there were 474 people recorded with the Mccready surname, ranking it #7,040 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,864, ranked #3,412, up from #7,040 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Port Glasgow, Wolstanton and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenock Town Centre and East Central, Renfrew West and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccready is 1,865 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 293.2%.

1881 census count

474

Ranked #7,040

Modern count

1,864

2016, ranked #3,412

Peak year

2015

1,865 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccready had 474 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,040 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,864 in 2016, ranked #3,412.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 661 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccready surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccready surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccready 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 204 #10,250
1861 historical 294 #8,571
1881 historical 474 #7,040
1891 historical 637 #6,081
1901 historical 661 #6,556
1911 historical 410 #9,126
1997 modern 1,620 #3,657
1998 modern 1,723 #3,596
1999 modern 1,719 #3,624
2000 modern 1,739 #3,573
2001 modern 1,705 #3,569
2002 modern 1,779 #3,502
2003 modern 1,733 #3,517
2004 modern 1,717 #3,546
2005 modern 1,678 #3,581
2006 modern 1,655 #3,629
2007 modern 1,695 #3,577
2008 modern 1,721 #3,561
2009 modern 1,812 #3,483
2010 modern 1,864 #3,474
2011 modern 1,840 #3,463
2012 modern 1,795 #3,490
2013 modern 1,825 #3,491
2014 modern 1,864 #3,452
2015 modern 1,865 #3,418
2016 modern 1,864 #3,412

Geography

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Where Mccreadys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Greenock Town Centre and East Central, Renfrew West, Herefordshire, Kilmacolm, Quarriers, Greenock Upper East/Central and Greenock Upper Central. 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 Port Glasgow Renfrew
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde
2 Renfrew West Renfrewshire
3 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
4 Kilmacolm, Quarriers, Greenock Upper East/Central Inverclyde
5 Greenock Upper Central Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccready

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccready

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

Mccready 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccready

The surname McCready is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Craidh" or "Mac Creadaidh", meaning "son of the believer" or "son of the devout one". This name can be traced back to the 12th century in the Scottish Highlands.

The earliest recorded instance of the name McCready appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls documenting Scottish nobles swearing allegiance to King Edward I of England. One entry mentions a "Dugal McCredy" from Argyll.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McCready surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Ayr and Lanark. Variations in spelling included McCreadie, McCredie, and McCreidy. In the 1600s, a branch of the family settled in County Antrim, Ireland, leading to the spread of the name across Ulster.

Notable historical figures with the McCready surname include:

1. James McCready (1768-1835), a Presbyterian minister from North Carolina who played a significant role in the Second Great Awakening religious revival.

2. Robert McCready (1823-1911), an Irish-born American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Philadelphia, including the Masonic Temple and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.

3. Sir John McCready (1866-1935), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Cyprus from 1927 to 1932.

4. John McCready (1920-2004), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as the Speaker of the Senate of Canada from 1977 to 1984.

5. William McCready (1937-2021), an American graphic designer and artist renowned for his work on the iconic "I ❤ NY" logo and campaign.

The surname McCready has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McCready's Linn, a waterfall near Dunfermline, and McCready's Hill in Ayr.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccready families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccready 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 23 Mccreadys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.43x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 23 3.43x
Middlesex 10 1.77x
Durham 9 5.35x
Yorkshire 7 1.25x
Cheshire 5 4.00x
Kent 3 1.55x
Essex 1 0.90x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 8 Mccreadys recorded in 1881 and an index of 37.40x.

Place Total Index
Everton 8 37.40x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 109.74x
Barrow In Furness 7 76.67x
Isleworth 6 239.04x
Liverpool 6 14.72x
Birkenhead 5 50.25x
St Marylebone London 4 13.25x
Aismunderby Cum 3 1875.00x
Dymchurch 3 2727.27x
Horton In Bradford 3 34.29x
Kimberworth 1 32.15x
Kirkdale 1 8.86x
Little Warley 1 625.00x
Walton On Hill 1 27.47x
Westoe 1 10.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 4
Mary 3
Alice 2
Annie 2
Jessie 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Annas 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Elizth. 1
Gertrude 1
Hatherman 1
Kate 1
L. 1
Margaret 1
My.Jane 1
Nellie 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
William 4
George 2
Hugh 2
John 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Bernard 1
Frank 1
Franklin 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Nelson 1
Patrick 1
Richard 1
Thos. 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 Mccready households.

FAQ

Mccready surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccready surname in 1881?

In 1881, 474 people were recorded with the Mccready surname. That placed it at #7,040 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccready surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,864 in 2016. That gives Mccready a modern rank of #3,412.

What does the Mccready surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Rèidh" meaning "son of Ried" (an old personal name).

What does the Mccready map show?

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