NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccubbin

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacUibein," meaning "son of Uibein," a personal name of unknown origin.

In the 1881 census there were 626 people recorded with the Mccubbin surname, ranking it #5,649 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,084, ranked #5,393, up from #5,649 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, Govan Combination and Old Luce. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Drongan, Dalbeattie and Mid Nithsdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccubbin is 1,107 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.2%.

1881 census count

626

Ranked #5,649

Modern count

1,084

2016, ranked #5,393

Peak year

2010

1,107 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccubbin had 626 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,649 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,084 in 2016, ranked #5,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 795 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccubbin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccubbin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccubbin 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 454 #5,427
1861 historical 461 #5,634
1881 historical 626 #5,649
1891 historical 694 #5,646
1901 historical 795 #5,681
1911 historical 180 #15,961
1997 modern 920 #5,876
1998 modern 975 #5,797
1999 modern 966 #5,869
2000 modern 973 #5,821
2001 modern 952 #5,806
2002 modern 972 #5,817
2003 modern 931 #5,929
2004 modern 951 #5,841
2005 modern 966 #5,698
2006 modern 974 #5,666
2007 modern 1,017 #5,533
2008 modern 1,035 #5,491
2009 modern 1,070 #5,447
2010 modern 1,107 #5,404
2011 modern 1,076 #5,471
2012 modern 1,052 #5,484
2013 modern 1,062 #5,542
2014 modern 1,069 #5,545
2015 modern 1,069 #5,480
2016 modern 1,084 #5,393

Geography

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Where Mccubbins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Girvan, Govan Combination, Old Luce, Glasgow and Neilston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Drongan, Dalbeattie, Mid Nithsdale, Locharbriggs and Saltcoats North East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Girvan Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Old Luce Wigtown
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Neilston Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Drongan East Ayrshire
2 Dalbeattie Dumfries and Galloway
3 Mid Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
4 Locharbriggs Dumfries and Galloway
5 Saltcoats North East North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccubbin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccubbin

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mccubbin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccubbin 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

Mccubbin falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccubbin 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mccubbin

The surname McCubbin is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Cuibne," meaning "poor" or "humble." It first appeared in the region of Argyll and the Hebrides islands off the western coast of Scotland in the 13th century.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name was MacCubbin, found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1296. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as McCubbine, McCubbing, and McCubben, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations.

One of the earliest documented references to the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The Ragman Rolls mention a "John McCubbin" from the Hebrides islands.

In the 16th century, the McCubbin family established themselves in Ayrshire, a county in southwestern Scotland. Several members of the family were recorded in the Parish Registers of Ayr during this period, including John McCubbin (born 1541) and Robert McCubbin (born 1578).

During the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, some McCubbins embraced the Protestant faith and were among the early adherents of the Church of Scotland. One notable figure was Reverend James McCubbin (1560-1633), a Presbyterian minister who served in the parish of Dairy, Ayrshire.

In the 17th century, the McCubbins became prominent landowners and merchants in the Scottish Lowlands. Sir Alexander McCubbin (1621-1695), a successful merchant from Glasgow, acquired substantial estates in Lanarkshire and was knighted by King Charles II in 1665.

As the centuries passed, members of the McCubbin family migrated to various parts of the British Empire, including Ireland, England, and North America. One of the earliest records of the name in America is that of William McCubbin, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Ireland in 1745.

Notable individuals bearing the McCubbin surname include Sir Samuel McCubbin (1791-1867), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Crimean War, and Frederic McCubbin (1855-1917), an acclaimed Australian painter known for his landscapes depicting the Australian bush.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccubbin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccubbin 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. Denbighshire leads with 6 Mccubbins recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.75x.

County Total Index
Denbighshire 6 70.75x
Warwickshire 6 10.60x
Lancashire 5 1.88x
Ayrshire 3 17.87x
Cheshire 1 2.02x
Cumberland 1 5.18x
Dumfriesshire 1 20.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George St George in Denbighshire leads with 6 Mccubbins recorded in 1881 and an index of 30000.00x.

Place Total Index
St George St George 6 30000.00x
Stratford On Avon 6 1935.48x
Ayr 3 379.75x
West Derby 2 25.67x
Birkenhead 1 25.32x
Burnley 1 44.64x
Harrington 1 434.78x
Keir 1 1666.67x
Liverpool 1 6.18x
Toxteth Park 1 11.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Margt. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 2
George 2
James 2
Charles 1
John 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Wallace 1
Wm. 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 Mccubbin households.

FAQ

Mccubbin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccubbin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 626 people were recorded with the Mccubbin surname. That placed it at #5,649 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccubbin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,084 in 2016. That gives Mccubbin a modern rank of #5,393.

What does the Mccubbin surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacUibein," meaning "son of Uibein," a personal name of unknown origin.

What does the Mccubbin map show?

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