NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgarr

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic mac Ghara, meaning "son of Gara", a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Mcgarr surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 349, ranked #13,189, up from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Carlisle St Cuthbert and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Sevenoaks and Burnhill and Bankhead North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgarr is 353 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 365.3%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

349

2016, ranked #13,189

Peak year

2002

353 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgarr had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016, ranked #13,189.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 166 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Mcgarr surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgarr surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgarr 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 67 #25,342
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 166 #17,077
1901 historical 140 #18,795
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 308 #13,297
1998 modern 320 #13,299
1999 modern 332 #13,075
2000 modern 337 #12,901
2001 modern 341 #12,588
2002 modern 353 #12,512
2003 modern 336 #12,786
2004 modern 342 #12,645
2005 modern 336 #12,767
2006 modern 332 #12,970
2007 modern 340 #12,872
2008 modern 329 #13,286
2009 modern 335 #13,381
2010 modern 351 #13,220
2011 modern 348 #13,134
2012 modern 327 #13,654
2013 modern 323 #14,003
2014 modern 337 #13,659
2015 modern 345 #13,312
2016 modern 349 #13,189

Geography

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Where Mcgarrs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Carlisle St Cuthbert, Wigan, Penrith and Leigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Sevenoaks, Burnhill and Bankhead North, Central Easterhouse and Warrington. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Penrith Cumberland
5 Leigh Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 066 County Durham
2 Sevenoaks 016 Sevenoaks
3 Burnhill and Bankhead North South Lanarkshire
4 Central Easterhouse Glasgow City
5 Warrington 020 Warrington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgarr

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgarr

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Mcgarr surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mcgarr household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mcgarr is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Mcgarr 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

Mcgarr 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 Mcgarr 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgarr

The surname MCGARR has its origins in Ireland, with its earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "Mac Gearra," which translate to "son of the short or short-statured one." This suggests that the name may have originally been used to identify a person of shorter stature within a family or clan.

In the earliest records, the name was often spelled as "McGarra" or "McGarry," with variations in spelling being common during that time period. The name appears to have been prominent in counties such as Antrim, Down, and Armagh, where many families bearing the surname lived and worked as farmers or tradesmen.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Murchadh Mac Garra" in the year 1198. This suggests that the name was in use among the Irish nobility and ruling classes during that era.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the English began to exert more control over Ireland, the spelling of the name became more standardized to its current form, MCGARR. This period also saw many families with the surname relocate to other parts of Ireland or emigrate to other countries, such as England and Scotland.

Notable individuals with the surname MCGARR include:

1. John MCGARR (1772-1854), an Irish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. 2. William MCGARR (1850-1919), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia. 3. Thomas MCGARR (1875-1942), an Irish-American actor and playwright who appeared in several Broadway productions in the early 20th century. 4. Patrick MCGARR (1890-1965), an Irish-born Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football League. 5. Michael MCGARR (1914-1995), an Irish-born American judge who served on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

While the surname MCGARR has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to many parts of the world due to emigration and migration over the centuries. The name continues to be a part of the rich tapestry of Irish and Irish-American heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgarr families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgarr 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. Cumberland leads with 12 Mcgarrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 102.13x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 12 102.13x
Kent 1 2.15x
Nottinghamshire 1 5.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Caldewgate in Cumberland leads with 5 Mcgarrs recorded in 1881 and an index of 781.25x.

Place Total Index
Caldewgate 5 781.25x
Workington 5 746.27x
Penrith 2 465.12x
Gillingham 1 104.17x
Nottingham St Mary 1 21.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Dorothy 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1
Mercy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
Samuel 2
Charles 1
John 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 Mcgarr households.

FAQ

Mcgarr surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgarr surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Mcgarr surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgarr surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 349 in 2016. That gives Mcgarr a modern rank of #13,189.

What does the Mcgarr surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic mac Ghara, meaning "son of Gara", a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Mcgarr map show?

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