NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcdonough

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Donnchadha, meaning "son of Donnchadh" (derived from Irish words meaning "brown" and "warrior").

In the 1881 census there were 1,294 people recorded with the Mcdonough surname, ranking it #3,167 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,667, ranked #2,506, up from #3,167 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Knowsley, Wigan and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcdonough is 2,733 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 106.1%.

1881 census count

1,294

Ranked #3,167

Modern count

2,667

2016, ranked #2,506

Peak year

2010

2,733 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcdonough had 1,294 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,167 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,667 in 2016, ranked #2,506.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,535 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcdonough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcdonough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcdonough 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 424 #5,760
1861 historical 623 #4,292
1881 historical 1,294 #3,167
1891 historical 1,255 #3,438
1901 historical 1,516 #3,390
1911 historical 1,535 #3,167
1997 modern 2,588 #2,452
1998 modern 2,600 #2,516
1999 modern 2,663 #2,488
2000 modern 2,628 #2,500
2001 modern 2,595 #2,488
2002 modern 2,624 #2,512
2003 modern 2,565 #2,503
2004 modern 2,559 #2,516
2005 modern 2,543 #2,509
2006 modern 2,574 #2,475
2007 modern 2,594 #2,480
2008 modern 2,624 #2,474
2009 modern 2,682 #2,476
2010 modern 2,733 #2,493
2011 modern 2,677 #2,510
2012 modern 2,609 #2,528
2013 modern 2,671 #2,517
2014 modern 2,698 #2,512
2015 modern 2,685 #2,501
2016 modern 2,667 #2,506

Geography

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Where Mcdonoughs are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Knowsley, Wigan and Liverpool. 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 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Knowsley 020 Knowsley
2 Wigan 033 Wigan
3 Liverpool 050 Liverpool
4 Liverpool 003 Liverpool
5 Knowsley 008 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcdonough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcdonough

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

Mcdonough is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcdonough 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 Mcdonough is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcdonough

The surname McDonough is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Donnchadha, meaning "son of Donnchadh." Donnchadh was an old Irish personal name composed of the elements "donn" (brown) and "cath" (battle), suggesting a warrior of brown complexion. The McDonough name emerged in the 12th century and was concentrated in counties Galway, Mayo, and Sligo in the western province of Connacht.

Historical records mention the McDonough clan as a prominent sept (sub-division) of the larger Ó Conchobhair (O'Conor) dynasty that ruled over the Kingdom of Connacht. The earliest documented instance of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, which chronicle the death of Tomaltach Mac Donnchadha, a chief of Tír Oilill, in the year 1225.

In the 16th century, the McDonough family gained prominence in County Sligo, where they held extensive lands around the baronies of Leyny and Corran. One notable figure was Myles McDonough, who served as the Archbishop of Armagh from 1512 to 1528. Another influential member was Turlough McDonough, a captain in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s, who fought against the English Parliamentarian forces.

During the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 1650s, many McDonough families were dispossessed of their ancestral lands and forced into exile or transplanted to the province of Connacht. Some found refuge in continental Europe, particularly in Spain and France, where they joined the Irish Brigades in the service of Catholic monarchs.

The McDonough name can also be traced to several prominent figures in the United States. One of the earliest was Thomas McDonough (1768-1825), a renowned naval officer who achieved victory in the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812. Another notable American was Commodore John McDonough (1799-1891), who served as a naval commander and later as a US Representative from Maryland.

In the literary realm, the name is associated with Randall McDonough (1828-1894), an Irish-American poet and journalist who wrote extensively about the Irish experience in America. Additionally, John McDonough (1876-1933) was a prominent American businessman and co-founder of the McDonough Company, one of the largest construction firms in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcdonough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcdonough 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 93 Mcdonoughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.49x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 93 3.49x
Durham 21 3.15x
Northumberland 20 5.99x
Yorkshire 20 0.90x
Middlesex 17 0.76x
Denbighshire 10 11.80x
Worcestershire 9 3.07x
Staffordshire 8 1.06x
Warwickshire 8 1.41x
Berkshire 7 4.16x
Cheshire 5 1.01x
Cumberland 4 2.07x
Surrey 3 0.27x
Flintshire 2 3.32x
Devon 1 0.21x
Hampshire 1 0.22x
Sussex 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 29 Mcdonoughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.17x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 29 32.17x
Hartlepool 9 94.84x
Kidderminster Borough 9 52.48x
Liverpool 9 5.57x
Birmingham 8 4.24x
Hulme 8 14.39x
Manchester 8 6.68x
Wrexham Abbot 8 375.59x
Earsdon 7 257.35x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 7 159.45x
Reading St Mary 7 51.89x
Bilston 6 40.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 6 14.19x
Everton 6 7.07x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 20.75x
Ormskirk 6 117.88x
St Giles In Fields London 6 54.50x
Leeds 5 3.98x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 25.08x
Newton 5 24.37x
Potter Newton 5 127.55x
Whitwood 5 158.23x
Byers Green 4 212.77x
Caldewgate 4 37.81x
Salford 4 5.11x
St Marylebone London 4 3.34x
Batley 3 14.20x
Birkenhead 3 7.60x
Blackburn 3 4.24x
Lambeth 3 1.53x
Ardwick 2 8.33x
Islington London 2 0.92x
Lancaster 2 12.63x
Mold Bistree 2 204.08x
Sheffield 2 2.83x
Shoreditch London 2 2.06x
Westminster St John 2 7.32x
Wrexham Regis 2 31.80x
Bishop Auckland 1 11.17x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 4.73x
Chester St John Baptist 1 11.24x
Elswick 1 3.75x
Farnborough 1 20.70x
Hampstead London 1 2.86x
Hastings St Leonards 1 17.99x
Much Woolton 1 27.70x
Poulton Barre 1 33.00x
Preston 1 1.40x
Rugeley 1 18.42x
Seaton 1 55.56x
Stockport 1 3.92x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.11x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.25x
Warrington 1 3.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Ellen 11
Margaret 9
Ann 6
Bridget 6
Jane 6
Annie 5
Catherine 5
Maria 4
Sarah 3
Christinia 2
Clara 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Blanch 1
Caroline 1
Cecilia 1
Cisley 1
Edith 1
Emma 1
Ester 1
Francis 1
Georgina 1
Hana 1
Harriett 1
Honour 1
Judy 1
Lilie 1
Marge 1
Miget 1
Rose 1
Winefred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mcdonough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcdonough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,294 people were recorded with the Mcdonough surname. That placed it at #3,167 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcdonough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,667 in 2016. That gives Mcdonough a modern rank of #2,506.

What does the Mcdonough surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Donnchadha, meaning "son of Donnchadh" (derived from Irish words meaning "brown" and "warrior").

What does the Mcdonough map show?

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