NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcfadden

Son of little Patrick.

In the 1881 census there were 421 people recorded with the Mcfadden surname, ranking it #7,681 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,052, ranked #2,208, up from #7,681 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Workington (Workington), Clossocks and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Toryglen and Oatlands, Govanhill East and Aikenhead and Gorbals and Hutchesontown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcfadden is 3,052 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 624.9%.

1881 census count

421

Ranked #7,681

Modern count

3,052

2016, ranked #2,208

Peak year

2016

3,052 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcfadden had 421 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,681 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,052 in 2016, ranked #2,208.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 701 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcfadden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcfadden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcfadden 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 151 #12,840
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 421 #7,681
1891 historical 507 #7,349
1901 historical 701 #6,281
1911 historical 441 #8,638
1997 modern 2,634 #2,418
1998 modern 2,701 #2,453
1999 modern 2,756 #2,420
2000 modern 2,820 #2,369
2001 modern 2,732 #2,385
2002 modern 2,773 #2,402
2003 modern 2,752 #2,378
2004 modern 2,693 #2,417
2005 modern 2,722 #2,374
2006 modern 2,729 #2,373
2007 modern 2,805 #2,330
2008 modern 2,864 #2,310
2009 modern 2,958 #2,292
2010 modern 3,021 #2,287
2011 modern 3,019 #2,257
2012 modern 2,933 #2,286
2013 modern 3,010 #2,261
2014 modern 3,038 #2,252
2015 modern 3,042 #2,223
2016 modern 3,052 #2,208

Geography

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Where Mcfaddens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Toryglen and Oatlands, Govanhill East and Aikenhead, Gorbals and Hutchesontown, Laurieston and Tradeston and Govanhill West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
2 Govanhill East and Aikenhead Glasgow City
3 Gorbals and Hutchesontown Glasgow City
4 Laurieston and Tradeston Glasgow City
5 Govanhill West Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcfadden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcfadden

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

Mcfadden 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcfadden

The surname McFadden has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged during the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic name, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Fáidín," which means "little prophet" or "diminutive of Áed." The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" indicates "son of" in Gaelic.

The earliest known record of the McFadden name can be traced back to the late 12th century, when it appeared as "MacFadyn" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage renderings made to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. The name is believed to have originated in the region of Ayrshire, where the McFaddens were a prominent family.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McFaddens were actively involved in the Scottish clan conflicts and wars of the time. Notable figures from this period include Fergus McFadden, a renowned warrior who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

Over time, the name underwent various spelling variations, including MacFadden, McFadyen, and McFaden, reflecting regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling "McFadden" can be found in the Bute Presbytery Records of 1638.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, many McFaddens emigrated from Scotland to various parts of the world, including Ireland, England, and North America. One notable figure from this period is Sir John McFadden (1756-1836), an Irish-born British Army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a member of the Irish Parliament.

Another prominent individual was John McFadden (1786-1858), an Irish-born American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania in the mid-19th century.

In the literary world, Frank Patrick McFadden (1889-1942) was an American novelist and short story writer known for his works set in the American West, including the novel "The Clan McFadden."

More recently, Brian McFadden (born 1980) is an Irish singer and former member of the popular boy band Westlife, while John McFadden (born 1966) is a Scottish actor best known for his roles in television shows like "M.I. High" and "The Crew."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcfadden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcfadden 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 19 Mcfaddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.49x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 19 2.49x
Cumberland 12 21.66x
Derbyshire 11 10.92x
Dorset 6 14.20x
Durham 6 3.13x
Yorkshire 4 0.63x
Denbighshire 2 8.23x
Kent 2 0.91x
Flintshire 1 5.78x
Lincolnshire 1 0.97x
Middlesex 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 13.04x

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 12 Mcfaddens recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.87x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 12 25.87x
Winshill 11 1718.75x
Caldewgate 7 230.26x
Bridport 6 689.66x
Seaton 5 769.23x
Stockton On Tees 5 54.17x
Blackburn 2 9.84x
Deptford St Paul 2 11.81x
Everton 2 8.22x
Middlesbrough 2 24.10x
Salford 2 8.90x
West Ardsley 2 259.74x
Bishopwearmouth 1 6.09x
Cerrig Y Druidion 1 416.67x
Crumpsall 1 55.56x
Denbigh 1 102.04x
Market Rasen 1 172.41x
Mold 1 63.69x
Shoreditch London 1 3.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Jane 3
Eliza 2
Margaret 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Eaddie 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Margt. 1
Margt.C.E. 1
Pattie 1
Sarah 1
Sophia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 5
John 4
Robert 3
Thomas 3
William 3
George 2
Martin 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Chas. 1
Edward 1
Fredrick 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Patrick 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Septimus 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 Mcfadden households.

FAQ

Mcfadden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcfadden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 421 people were recorded with the Mcfadden surname. That placed it at #7,681 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcfadden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,052 in 2016. That gives Mcfadden a modern rank of #2,208.

What does the Mcfadden surname mean?

Son of little Patrick.

What does the Mcfadden map show?

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