NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcelwee

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Buidhe," meaning "son of the yellow-haired servant."

In the 1881 census there were 97 people recorded with the Mcelwee surname, ranking it #20,127 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 514, ranked #9,806, up from #20,127 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Tyneside, Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central and IZ03.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcelwee is 540 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 429.9%.

1881 census count

97

Ranked #20,127

Modern count

514

2016, ranked #9,806

Peak year

2010

540 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcelwee had 97 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,127 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 514 in 2016, ranked #9,806.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mcelwee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcelwee surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcelwee 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 27 #28,467
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 97 #20,127
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 217 #14,381
1911 historical 121 #20,336
1997 modern 455 #9,985
1998 modern 483 #9,853
1999 modern 490 #9,811
2000 modern 479 #9,951
2001 modern 469 #9,927
2002 modern 494 #9,718
2003 modern 471 #9,902
2004 modern 473 #9,905
2005 modern 479 #9,737
2006 modern 473 #9,871
2007 modern 485 #9,780
2008 modern 499 #9,646
2009 modern 528 #9,453
2010 modern 540 #9,491
2011 modern 538 #9,444
2012 modern 523 #9,555
2013 modern 519 #9,748
2014 modern 523 #9,770
2015 modern 512 #9,853
2016 modern 514 #9,806

Geography

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Where Mcelwees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Toxteth Park, Long Benton and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Tyneside, Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, IZ03, Middlesbrough and Greenock Town Centre and East 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Long Benton Northumberland
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Tyneside 007 South Tyneside
2 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde
3 IZ03 West Dunbartonshire
4 Middlesbrough 004 Middlesbrough
5 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcelwee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcelwee

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Mcelwee surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcelwee household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Mcelwee 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

Mcelwee 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcelwee

The surname MCELWEE is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gillie Odhrain," which means "the servant of Oran." Oran was a popular saint in Scotland during the 6th century.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the "Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland" in 1538, where it appears as "McIllewray." Other early spellings include McIlwrayth, McIlwrath, and McIlwraith, all of which are variations of the original Gaelic name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the MCELWEE surname was John McIlwraith, who was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, around 1650. He is mentioned in the "Register of the Privy Council of Scotland" in 1677 for his involvement in a dispute over land.

Another notable figure was Thomas McIlwraith, a Scottish philosopher and writer born in Glasgow in 1824. He was the author of several books, including "The Life and Writings of John Milton" (1860) and "The Autobiography of a Scotsman" (1867).

In the 19th century, the MCELWEE surname began to appear more frequently in historical records, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland. One notable individual from this period was Sir William McIlwraith, who was born in Ayr, Scotland, in 1834. He later became a prominent politician and businessman in Queensland, Australia, serving as the Premier of Queensland from 1879 to 1881.

Another significant figure was Robert McIlwraith, a Scottish-born Australian ornithologist and surgeon who lived from 1859 to 1949. He made significant contributions to the study of Australian birds and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCELWEE surname in the United States can be traced back to John McIlwee, who was born in Ireland around 1745. He immigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 18th century and served in the American Revolutionary War.

While the MCELWEE surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including politics, literature, science, and military service.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcelwee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcelwee 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. Middlesex leads with 3 Mcelwees recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.27x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 3 10.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chelsea London in Middlesex leads with 3 Mcelwees recorded in 1881 and an index of 340.91x.

Place Total Index
Chelsea London 3 340.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 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 Mcelwee households.

Occupation Count
Instructor Of Volunteers 1

FAQ

Mcelwee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcelwee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 97 people were recorded with the Mcelwee surname. That placed it at #20,127 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcelwee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 514 in 2016. That gives Mcelwee a modern rank of #9,806.

What does the Mcelwee surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Buidhe," meaning "son of the yellow-haired servant."

What does the Mcelwee map show?

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