NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgaughey

A variant of McCaughey, an Irish surname derived from Mac Eachaidh, meaning "son of Eachaidh" (a personal name meaning "horseman").

In the 1881 census there were 7 people recorded with the Mcgaughey surname, ranking it #32,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 250, ranked #16,792, up from #32,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tunbridge Wells, Linwood South and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgaughey is 269 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3471.4%.

1881 census count

7

Ranked #32,765

Modern count

250

2016, ranked #16,792

Peak year

1999

269 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgaughey had 7 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016, ranked #16,792.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 31 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcgaughey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgaughey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgaughey 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 2 #33,133
1861 historical 13 #32,208
1881 historical 7 #32,765
1891 historical 18 #32,706
1901 historical 31 #30,616
1911 historical 11 #32,463
1997 modern 265 #14,692
1998 modern 260 #15,291
1999 modern 269 #15,040
2000 modern 248 #15,827
2001 modern 254 #15,363
2002 modern 259 #15,453
2003 modern 227 #16,718
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 228 #16,683
2006 modern 233 #16,560
2007 modern 235 #16,668
2008 modern 229 #17,092
2009 modern 233 #17,241
2010 modern 242 #17,138
2011 modern 231 #17,530
2012 modern 242 #16,886
2013 modern 260 #16,350
2014 modern 255 #16,682
2015 modern 252 #16,705
2016 modern 250 #16,792

Geography

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Where Mcgaugheys 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 Tunbridge Wells, Linwood South, Bolton and Barrow-in-Furness. 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 Tunbridge Wells 013 Tunbridge Wells
2 Linwood South Renfrewshire
3 Bolton 017 Bolton
4 Barrow-in-Furness 006 Barrow-in-Furness
5 Bolton 019 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgaughey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgaughey

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mcgaughey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcgaughey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mcgaughey 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

Mcgaughey is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgaughey

The surname MCGAUGHEY is of Scottish origin, originating in the 17th century in the region known as Galloway in southwest Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gogadh," meaning "keen" or "eager." The name may have also been influenced by the Old Norse word "gogga," meaning "to shake" or "to move."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the MCGAUGHEY surname can be found in the Parish Records of Kirkmaiden, Wigtownshire, Scotland, where a John McGaughey was listed in 1684. Some variations in spelling included McGaughie, McGaughy, and McGoughy.

In the late 17th century, several MCGAUGHEY families were known to have settled in the Ulster Plantation in Northern Ireland, particularly in County Antrim and County Down. This migration likely occurred during the Scottish Presbyterian migration to Ireland in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

Notable individuals with the MCGAUGHEY surname include:

1. William McGaughey (1827-1889), a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin.

2. James McGaughey (1786-1857), an Irish-born American pioneer and farmer who established one of the earliest settlements in Callaway County, Missouri.

3. Hugh McGaughey (1759-1838), an Irish-born American Revolutionary War soldier who fought in the Battle of King's Mountain.

4. John McGaughey (1790-1865), an Irish-born American pioneer and farmer who settled in Washington County, Indiana, in the early 19th century.

5. Robert McGaughey (1746-1819), a Scottish-born American farmer and Revolutionary War soldier who served in the Battle of Guilford Court House.

While the MCGAUGHEY surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and multiple countries, with its roots firmly planted in the Scottish Highlands and the Ulster Plantation of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mcgaughey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgaughey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7 people were recorded with the Mcgaughey surname. That placed it at #32,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgaughey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 250 in 2016. That gives Mcgaughey a modern rank of #16,792.

What does the Mcgaughey surname mean?

A variant of McCaughey, an Irish surname derived from Mac Eachaidh, meaning "son of Eachaidh" (a personal name meaning "horseman").

What does the Mcgaughey map show?

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