NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcelhone

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic phrase "Mac Ill'Eathain" meaning "son of the Hutcheson".

In the 1881 census there were 42 people recorded with the Mcelhone surname, ranking it #27,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 299, ranked #14,770, up from #27,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Newcastle All Saints and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Gedling and Niddrie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcelhone is 306 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 611.9%.

1881 census count

42

Ranked #27,721

Modern count

299

2016, ranked #14,770

Peak year

2014

306 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcelhone had 42 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 299 in 2016, ranked #14,770.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcelhone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcelhone surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcelhone 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 26 #30,677
1881 historical 42 #27,721
1891 historical 73 #27,677
1901 historical 101 #22,726
1911 historical 80 #24,821
1997 modern 263 #14,769
1998 modern 270 #14,913
1999 modern 283 #14,501
2000 modern 277 #14,688
2001 modern 274 #14,576
2002 modern 272 #14,930
2003 modern 266 #14,987
2004 modern 266 #15,075
2005 modern 269 #14,869
2006 modern 282 #14,459
2007 modern 278 #14,773
2008 modern 285 #14,647
2009 modern 284 #14,986
2010 modern 305 #14,561
2011 modern 305 #14,439
2012 modern 294 #14,705
2013 modern 304 #14,614
2014 modern 306 #14,647
2015 modern 303 #14,646
2016 modern 299 #14,770

Geography

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Where Mcelhones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Newcastle All Saints, Gateshead, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Long Benton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Gedling, Niddrie, Preston and South Leith. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Long Benton Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 003 County Durham
2 Gedling 014 Gedling
3 Niddrie City of Edinburgh
4 Preston 007 Preston
5 South Leith City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcelhone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcelhone

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcelhone, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mcelhone surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcelhone household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcelhone 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.

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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

Mcelhone 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcelhone

The surname McElhone has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Elchyn" or "Elchine," which may have roots in the word "ealchainn," meaning "swan" or "elk."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 14th century in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a person named "Ade Makclechin" is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originally been spelled as "MacClechin" or a similar variation.

The McElhone surname is particularly associated with the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire in western Scotland, where it is believed to have originated. It is possible that the name was connected to a specific location or land holding, as was common with many Scottish surnames.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was John McElhone, who was a prominent merchant and burgess of Glasgow in the mid-1500s. Records from this time period also show variations in spelling, such as "McIlhone" and "McYlhone."

During the 17th century, the surname appears in various historical documents, including parish records and court proceedings. One notable individual from this era was Robert McElhone, a Presbyterian minister born in Ayrshire around 1620, who was involved in the religious conflicts of the time.

In the 18th century, the McElhone surname continued to be found in Scottish records, particularly in the counties of Ayr and Lanark. One individual of note was James McElhone, born in 1745, who served as a soldier in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.

As the centuries progressed, the McElhone surname spread beyond Scotland, with some bearers immigrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to various corners of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

While not an exhaustive list, some other notable individuals with the McElhone surname throughout history include: William McElhone (1819-1889), a Scottish-born Australian politician; John McElhone (1836-1916), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist; and Thomas McElhone (1871-1945), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and lawyer.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mcelhone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcelhone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 42 people were recorded with the Mcelhone surname. That placed it at #27,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcelhone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 299 in 2016. That gives Mcelhone a modern rank of #14,770.

What does the Mcelhone surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic phrase "Mac Ill'Eathain" meaning "son of the Hutcheson".

What does the Mcelhone map show?

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