NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcewing

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacEóghainn" meaning "son of Eoghan".

In the 1881 census there were 185 people recorded with the Mcewing surname, ranking it #13,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 121, ranked #27,399, down from #13,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Kilmichael Glassary and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gourock Upper and West Central and Upper Larkfield, Letham and Glamis and Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcewing is 335 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.6%.

1881 census count

185

Ranked #13,506

Modern count

121

2016, ranked #27,399

Peak year

1851

335 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcewing had 185 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016, ranked #27,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 335 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mcewing surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcewing surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcewing 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 335 #6,984
1861 historical 304 #8,340
1881 historical 185 #13,506
1891 historical 175 #16,467
1901 historical 187 #15,793
1911 historical 19 #31,416
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 114 #25,766
2000 modern 119 #25,072
2001 modern 123 #24,242
2002 modern 123 #24,735
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 124 #24,559
2005 modern 122 #24,817
2006 modern 131 #23,942
2007 modern 128 #24,632
2008 modern 129 #24,790
2009 modern 131 #25,056
2010 modern 134 #25,263
2011 modern 129 #25,673
2012 modern 122 #26,696
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 121 #27,405
2016 modern 121 #27,399

Geography

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Where Mcewings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Kilmichael Glassary, Greenock, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gourock Upper and West Central and Upper Larkfield, Letham and Glamis, Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road, Newcastle upon Tyne and Bolton. 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 Kilmichael Glassary Argyll
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gourock Upper and West Central and Upper Larkfield Inverclyde
2 Letham and Glamis Angus
3 Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road Inverclyde
4 Newcastle upon Tyne 003 Newcastle upon Tyne
5 Bolton 025 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcewing

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcewing

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mcewing surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mcewing household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Mcewing is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcewing is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcewing falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcewing 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcewing

The surname MCEWING is believed to have originated in Scotland during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cuitheing," which translates to "son of the strange one." This name likely referred to someone who was considered an outsider or stranger in a particular community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCEWING name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Mackewyn de Carric," suggesting the family originated from the region of Carrick in Ayrshire.

By the 15th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of MCEWING. In 1492, a James MCEWING was recorded as a merchant in the city of Aberdeen. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir Alexander MCEWING, a Scottish soldier who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

The MCEWING name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 17th century, Alexander MCEWING (1620-1678) was a prominent Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. During the 18th century, John MCEWING (1734-1812) was a respected Scottish philosopher and educator who served as the principal of the University of Glasgow.

In the 19th century, Robert MCEWING (1822-1897) was a Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry in England. He is remembered for his significant contributions to educational and charitable causes in his later years.

Another notable bearer of the MCEWING name was Sir James MCEWING (1868-1945), a Scottish politician and lawyer who served as the Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1920 to 1922. He played a crucial role in shaping legal reforms and policies during his time in office.

Throughout its history, the MCEWING surname has been associated with various regions of Scotland, particularly the areas of Ayrshire, Aberdeenshire, and the Scottish Borders. While the name has spread across the globe, its roots remain firmly tied to its Scottish heritage and the rich cultural traditions of the Gaelic-speaking Highlands and Islands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcewing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcewing 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 2 Mcewings recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2 8.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kirkdale in Lancashire leads with 1 Mcewings recorded in 1881 and an index of 263.16x.

Place Total Index
Kirkdale 1 263.16x
West Derby 1 149.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 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 Mcewing households.

FAQ

Mcewing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcewing surname in 1881?

In 1881, 185 people were recorded with the Mcewing surname. That placed it at #13,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcewing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 121 in 2016. That gives Mcewing a modern rank of #27,399.

What does the Mcewing surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacEóghainn" meaning "son of Eoghan".

What does the Mcewing map show?

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