NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgarty

An anglicized surname of Gaelic origin meaning "son of the stout or corpulent man".

In the 1881 census there were 70 people recorded with the Mcgarty surname, ranking it #23,670 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 145, ranked #24,293, down from #23,670 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Pembrokeshire, West Calder and Polbeth and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgarty is 148 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 107.1%.

1881 census count

70

Ranked #23,670

Modern count

145

2016, ranked #24,293

Peak year

2002

148 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgarty had 70 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,670 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 145 in 2016, ranked #24,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 82 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcgarty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgarty surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgarty 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 35 #29,571
1881 historical 70 #23,670
1891 historical 62 #28,991
1901 historical 82 #25,019
1911 historical 34 #29,600
1997 modern 132 #22,821
1998 modern 135 #23,118
1999 modern 142 #22,607
2000 modern 143 #22,457
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 148 #22,087
2003 modern 135 #23,155
2004 modern 139 #22,891
2005 modern 137 #23,110
2006 modern 139 #23,044
2007 modern 138 #23,478
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 137 #24,371
2010 modern 142 #24,352
2011 modern 139 #24,507
2012 modern 143 #24,019
2013 modern 143 #24,434
2014 modern 144 #24,504
2015 modern 144 #24,369
2016 modern 145 #24,293

Geography

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Where Mcgartys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Pembrokeshire, West Calder and Polbeth, Rochdale, Stockport and Fauldhouse. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Pembrokeshire 003 Pembrokeshire
2 West Calder and Polbeth West Lothian
3 Rochdale 025 Rochdale
4 Stockport 039 Stockport
5 Fauldhouse West Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgarty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgarty

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mcgarty is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcgarty is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcgarty falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgarty

The surname McGarty originated in Ireland. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Geartaigh, which means "son of Geartach." Geartach is a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "gearr," meaning short.

The name is first recorded in the early 12th century in County Mayo, where the McGartys were a prominent clan. They were Lords of Leyney and held extensive lands in the Barony of Gallen. The McGartys were staunch supporters of the O'Conor Kings of Connacht.

In the Annals of the Four Masters, a medieval manuscript compiled in the 17th century, the name is spelled various ways, including Mac Geartaigh, Mac Gearaity, and Mac Gearty. This reflects the fluid nature of surnames in ancient Ireland before they became standardized.

One of the earliest recorded members of the clan was Domhnall Mac Geartaigh, who died in 1240. Another notable figure was Tomaltach Mac Geartaigh, who was Bishop of Killala from 1329 to 1348.

After the Norman invasion of Ireland, the McGartys lost much of their power and influence. However, they remained an important family in County Mayo and Connacht. In the 16th century, Edmond McGarty of Leyney was granted lands by the English Crown for his loyalty during the Desmond Rebellions.

Other notable McGartys throughout history include: - Patrick McGarty (1719-1799), an Irish Catholic priest and founder of the Lough Derg pilgrimage. - John McGarty (1856-1936), an Irish-American labor leader and founder of the United Mine Workers of America. - Michael McGarty (1865-1940), an Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament for Sligo. - Thomas McGarty (1892-1963), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York. - Michael McGarty (born 1978), an Irish hurler who played for the Waterford senior team.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgarty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgarty 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 4 Mcgartys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.32x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 4 4.32x
Yorkshire 4 5.17x

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 4 Mcgartys recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.17x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 4 71.17x
Wakefield 4 677.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 1
Easter 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
Patrick 2
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 Mcgarty households.

FAQ

Mcgarty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgarty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 70 people were recorded with the Mcgarty surname. That placed it at #23,670 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgarty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 145 in 2016. That gives Mcgarty a modern rank of #24,293.

What does the Mcgarty surname mean?

An anglicized surname of Gaelic origin meaning "son of the stout or corpulent man".

What does the Mcgarty map show?

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