NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcfayden

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name MacFadyen meaning "son of the modest one."

In the 1881 census there were 161 people recorded with the Mcfayden surname, ranking it #14,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 98, ranked #31,470, down from #14,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Kilfinichen and Iona and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broxbourne, Chorley and Mid Nithsdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcfayden is 199 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 39.1%.

1881 census count

161

Ranked #14,801

Modern count

98

2016, ranked #31,470

Peak year

1851

199 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Mcfayden had 161 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016, ranked #31,470.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 199 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Mcfayden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcfayden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcfayden 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 199 #10,441
1861 historical 195 #12,263
1881 historical 161 #14,801
1891 historical 108 #22,828
1901 historical 160 #17,387
1911 historical 28 #30,296
1997 modern 90 #28,360
1998 modern 101 #27,479
1999 modern 99 #27,906
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 100 #27,944
2003 modern 96 #28,381
2004 modern 90 #29,481
2005 modern 80 #30,842
2006 modern 77 #31,510
2007 modern 76 #31,966
2008 modern 83 #31,483
2009 modern 92 #30,820
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 89 #31,659
2012 modern 94 #31,258
2013 modern 102 #30,415
2014 modern 101 #30,855
2015 modern 98 #31,342
2016 modern 98 #31,470

Geography

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Where Mcfaydens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Kilfinichen and Iona, Edinburgh, Tiree and Coll and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broxbourne, Chorley, Mid Nithsdale and Salford. 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 Kilfinichen and Iona Argyll
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Tiree and Coll Argyll
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broxbourne 003 Broxbourne
2 Chorley 009 Chorley
3 Mid Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
4 Salford 025 Salford
5 Salford 019 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcfayden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcfayden

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Mcfayden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Mcfayden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mcfayden is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcfayden is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcfayden falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcfayden 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 Mcfayden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcfayden

The surname McFayden is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "MacFadyen" or "MacPhaiden," meaning "son of Padeen," with Padeen being a diminutive form of the name Patrick. The name can be traced back to the late 16th century in the Scottish Highlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Argyll Sasines, a collection of legal documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, where a Donald McFadyen is mentioned in 1623. The spelling variations at the time included McFadyane, McFadzane, and McFadzean.

In the late 17th century, the name appears in the parish records of Kilcalmonell and Kilberry in Argyllshire, with entries for families such as the McFadyens of Cullendrait and the McFadyens of Lepingill. Variations in spelling continued, with McFadyane, McFadzane, and McFadzeane being common.

One notable member of the McFayden family was John McFadyane (c. 1600-1675), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the minister of Campbeltown in Argyll from 1638 until his death. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Presbyterian Church and played a role in the struggle against Episcopacy during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

Another historically significant individual was Archibald McFadzean (1770-1848), a Scottish merchant and shipowner from Greenock. He was a prominent figure in the West Indies trade and owned several sugar plantations in Jamaica. McFadzean Street in Greenock is named after him.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the name spread beyond Scotland as members of the McFayden family emigrated to other parts of the British Empire, including Canada and Australia. One notable Australian McFayden was William McFadyen (1809-1886), a pioneering settler and farmer in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria.

Other notable figures include John McFadyean (1853-1941), a Scottish veterinary surgeon and academic who made significant contributions to the study of animal diseases, and Neil McFadyen (1915-2005), a Scottish actor and comedian known for his role in the long-running BBC comedy series Rab C. Nesbitt.

While the name has undergone various spelling changes over time, the core meaning and Scottish heritage of the surname McFayden remain intact, with its roots tracing back to the Gaelic personal name Padeen and the Highland regions of Argyll and the Scottish Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcfayden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcfayden 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 1 Mcfaydens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.37x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1 4.37x
Middlesex 1 5.19x

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 Mcfaydens recorded in 1881 and an index of 263.16x.

Place Total Index
Kirkdale 1 263.16x
St George Hanover 1 400.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Geo 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 Mcfayden households.

Occupation Count
Dress Maker 1

FAQ

Mcfayden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcfayden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 161 people were recorded with the Mcfayden surname. That placed it at #14,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcfayden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 98 in 2016. That gives Mcfayden a modern rank of #31,470.

What does the Mcfayden surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name MacFadyen meaning "son of the modest one."

What does the Mcfayden map show?

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