NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgarrigle

Surname meaning "son of a young, slender person" deriving from Gaelic elements.

In the 1881 census there were 119 people recorded with the Mcgarrigle surname, ranking it #17,841 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 683, ranked #7,848, up from #17,841 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Port Glasgow, Govan Combination and Earsdon. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Port Glasgow Upper East and Darnley East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgarrigle is 699 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 473.9%.

1881 census count

119

Ranked #17,841

Modern count

683

2016, ranked #7,848

Peak year

2013

699 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgarrigle had 119 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,841 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 683 in 2016, ranked #7,848.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 285 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcgarrigle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgarrigle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgarrigle 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 7 #32,070
1861 historical 57 #26,718
1881 historical 119 #17,841
1891 historical 130 #20,173
1901 historical 285 #12,063
1911 historical 75 #25,322
1997 modern 604 #8,102
1998 modern 645 #7,957
1999 modern 664 #7,819
2000 modern 667 #7,783
2001 modern 669 #7,626
2002 modern 660 #7,857
2003 modern 650 #7,830
2004 modern 650 #7,838
2005 modern 650 #7,776
2006 modern 623 #8,061
2007 modern 628 #8,068
2008 modern 636 #8,044
2009 modern 655 #8,019
2010 modern 698 #7,797
2011 modern 689 #7,782
2012 modern 677 #7,818
2013 modern 699 #7,734
2014 modern 698 #7,790
2015 modern 693 #7,783
2016 modern 683 #7,848

Geography

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Where Mcgarrigles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Port Glasgow, Govan Combination, Earsdon, Dean and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Port Glasgow Upper East, Darnley East and Newark and Sherwood. 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 Port Glasgow Renfrew
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Earsdon Northumberland
4 Dean Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
2 Port Glasgow Upper East Inverclyde
3 Darnley East Glasgow City
4 Newark and Sherwood 007 Newark and Sherwood
5 Newark and Sherwood 009 Newark and Sherwood

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgarrigle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgarrigle

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcgarrigle is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Mcgarrigle 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgarrigle

The surname McGarrigle is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period in Ireland. It is believed to have originated in the northern province of Ulster, specifically in the counties of Antrim and Derry.

The name McGarrigle is derived from the Gaelic personal name Garbhdhíle, which means "rough fellow" or "rough hero." The prefix "Mc" is a common Irish patronymic, indicating "son of." Thus, the name McGarrigle translates to "son of Garbhdhíle" or "son of the rough fellow."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a "Gillamocholmog McGarrigle" in 1261, suggesting that the name was well-established by the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the McGarrigles were prominent landowners and chieftains in the Glens of Antrim. The name appears in various records from that time, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Carew Manuscripts.

Notable individuals bearing the McGarrigle surname include:

1. Sir Thomas McGarrigle (c. 1537-1609), an Irish landowner and member of the Irish Parliament. 2. Owen McGarrigle (c. 1570-1635), an Irish Catholic priest and author of religious works. 3. Cormac McGarrigle (c. 1620-1690), an Irish Jacobite soldier who fought in the Williamite War in Ireland. 4. Éamonn McGarrigle (1892-1971), an Irish language scholar and writer from County Donegal. 5. Kate and Anna McGarrigle (1946-2010 and 1944-present), Canadian singer-songwriters and folk musicians of Irish descent.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the name have been observed, such as McGarragill, McGarrygill, and McGarrigal. Some of these variations may have stemmed from anglicizations or regional pronunciations of the original Gaelic name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgarrigle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgarrigle 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 6 Mcgarrigles recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.65x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 6 8.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 6 Mcgarrigles recorded in 1881 and an index of 255.32x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 6 255.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Mary 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
James 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 Mcgarrigle households.

FAQ

Mcgarrigle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgarrigle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 119 people were recorded with the Mcgarrigle surname. That placed it at #17,841 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgarrigle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 683 in 2016. That gives Mcgarrigle a modern rank of #7,848.

What does the Mcgarrigle surname mean?

Surname meaning "son of a young, slender person" deriving from Gaelic elements.

What does the Mcgarrigle map show?

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