NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccudden

A Gaelic surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "Mac Cuddenn", meaning son of the stern or ugly one.

In the 1881 census there were 63 people recorded with the Mccudden surname, ranking it #24,711 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 222, ranked #18,277, up from #24,711 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Govan Combination and Mearns. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Selkirk, Lower Whitecraigs and South Giffnock and Galashiels South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccudden is 226 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 252.4%.

1881 census count

63

Ranked #24,711

Modern count

222

2016, ranked #18,277

Peak year

1998

226 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccudden had 63 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,711 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016, ranked #18,277.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 144 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccudden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccudden surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccudden 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 16 #30,441
1861 historical 36 #29,463
1881 historical 63 #24,711
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 144 #18,505
1911 historical 70 #25,853
1997 modern 218 #16,704
1998 modern 226 #16,800
1999 modern 224 #16,984
2000 modern 223 #16,978
2001 modern 217 #17,059
2002 modern 219 #17,288
2003 modern 223 #16,905
2004 modern 222 #17,020
2005 modern 213 #17,435
2006 modern 203 #18,105
2007 modern 210 #17,904
2008 modern 211 #17,997
2009 modern 223 #17,735
2010 modern 222 #18,148
2011 modern 225 #17,841
2012 modern 217 #18,184
2013 modern 225 #18,027
2014 modern 226 #18,088
2015 modern 226 #17,995
2016 modern 222 #18,277

Geography

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Where Mccuddens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Govan Combination, Mearns, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Selkirk, Lower Whitecraigs and South Giffnock, Galashiels South, Langlee and Parkhead East and Braidfauld North. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Mearns Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Selkirk Scottish Borders
2 Lower Whitecraigs and South Giffnock East Renfrewshire
3 Galashiels South Scottish Borders
4 Langlee Scottish Borders
5 Parkhead East and Braidfauld North Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccudden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccudden

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Mccudden is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mccudden 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

Mccudden falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccudden 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 Mccudden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mccudden

The surname McCudden is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, specifically in the region of Argyll and Bute. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Cudden," which may have been a personal name or a reference to a location.

One of the earliest records of the McCudden surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage and fealty rendered to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landholders. This suggests that the name was already well-established in Scotland by the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, a family by the name of McCudden is mentioned in the Parish Records of Inveraray, a town located in Argyll and Bute. This indicates that the family had a significant presence in the region during that time period.

One notable bearer of the McCudden surname was James McCudden (1895-1918), a British World War I fighter ace and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valor in the British armed forces. He was born in Gillingham, Kent, and is considered one of the most successful pilots of the Royal Flying Corps during the war, with 57 confirmed victories.

Another notable figure was William McCudden (1818-1901), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts from 1879 to 1882.

In the 19th century, the McCudden family had a strong presence in the Scottish county of Ayrshire, as evidenced by various records and documents from that time period.

Other notable individuals with the McCudden surname include Robert McCudden (1909-1994), an Irish politician and member of the Northern Ireland Parliament, and John McCudden (1760-1849), a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.

The McCudden surname has undergone various spellings throughout history, including McCudding, McCuddin, and McCudding, reflecting the phonetic adaptations and regional variations common in Scottish naming traditions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccudden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccudden 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 8 Mccuddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8 6.93x
Kent 2 6.03x

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 8 Mccuddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 114.12x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 8 114.12x
Chatham 2 219.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 1
Ellen 1
Maria 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
Thomas 2
James 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 Mccudden households.

FAQ

Mccudden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccudden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 63 people were recorded with the Mccudden surname. That placed it at #24,711 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccudden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 222 in 2016. That gives Mccudden a modern rank of #18,277.

What does the Mccudden surname mean?

A Gaelic surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "Mac Cuddenn", meaning son of the stern or ugly one.

What does the Mccudden map show?

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