NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgeary

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Odhraigh or Mac Giorra, meaning son of the traveler or pilgrim.

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Mcgeary surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 356, ranked #12,978, up from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Carlisle St Cuthbert and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Tyneside, Menzieshill and Grange, Howard and Gargieston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgeary is 394 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 189.4%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

356

2016, ranked #12,978

Peak year

2000

394 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgeary had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016, ranked #12,978.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 205 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcgeary surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgeary surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgeary 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 56 #23,235
1861 historical 88 #22,554
1881 historical 123 #17,506
1891 historical 205 #14,649
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1911 historical 168 #16,620
1997 modern 354 #12,060
1998 modern 368 #12,096
1999 modern 366 #12,225
2000 modern 394 #11,520
2001 modern 377 #11,723
2002 modern 368 #12,168
2003 modern 346 #12,511
2004 modern 342 #12,645
2005 modern 356 #12,219
2006 modern 353 #12,363
2007 modern 356 #12,437
2008 modern 361 #12,407
2009 modern 367 #12,501
2010 modern 378 #12,508
2011 modern 362 #12,773
2012 modern 361 #12,647
2013 modern 367 #12,707
2014 modern 368 #12,770
2015 modern 371 #12,567
2016 modern 356 #12,978

Geography

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Where Mcgearys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Carlisle St Cuthbert, Gateshead, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Tyneside, Menzieshill, Grange, Howard and Gargieston, IZ02 and IZ04. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Tyneside 007 South Tyneside
2 Menzieshill Dundee City
3 Grange, Howard and Gargieston East Ayrshire
4 IZ02 East Lothian
5 IZ04 East Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgeary

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgeary

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcgeary, 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 Mcgeary surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcgeary 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, Mcgeary 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

Mcgeary 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgeary

The surname McGeary has its origins in Ireland, emerging in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic name Mac Geidheadh, which means "son of the plunderer." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been associated with raiding or plundering activities, either as participants or as those targeted by such actions.

The name is believed to have originated in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in Ulster. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. These references date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, indicating the long-standing presence of the McGeary name in Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname McGeary was Brian McGeary, who was mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in the year 1277. Another notable figure was Eoghan McGeary, a chieftain from County Tyrone, who was involved in battles against the English forces during the Nine Years' War (1594-1603).

As the centuries progressed, the McGeary name spread across Ireland, with branches of the family establishing themselves in various regions. Some variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as McGarry, McGerry, and McGeery, reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional variations within Ireland.

In the 17th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, many Irish families, including the McGearys, were displaced from their ancestral lands. This led to the dispersion of the name across other parts of Ireland and, eventually, to other parts of the world through immigration.

Notable individuals with the surname McGeary include:

1. Seán McGeary (1909-1969), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Labour Party. 2. William McGeary (1828-1893), an Irish-American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. 3. Thomas McGeary (1813-1893), an Irish-American inventor and businessman who founded the McGeary Stove Company in Pennsylvania. 4. Patrick McGeary (1935-2018), an Irish hurler who played for the Antrim senior hurling team. 5. John McGeary (1902-1984), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the McGeary Foundation in New York.

The history of the McGeary surname is deeply rooted in the cultural and historical fabric of Ireland, with its origins dating back to the medieval era. While the name has spread across the globe, its roots remain firmly tied to the Emerald Isle.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgeary families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgeary 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. Northumberland leads with 9 Mcgearys recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.54x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 9 29.54x
Kent 5 7.16x
Cumberland 4 22.69x
Middlesex 2 0.98x
Denbighshire 1 12.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Byker in Northumberland leads with 7 Mcgearys recorded in 1881 and an index of 463.58x.

Place Total Index
Byker 7 463.58x
Plumstead 5 214.59x
St Mary Within 4 1818.18x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 126.58x
Bersham 1 303.03x
Isleworth 1 109.89x
Mile End Old Town 1 30.96x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

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 Mcgeary households.

FAQ

Mcgeary surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgeary surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Mcgeary surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgeary surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 356 in 2016. That gives Mcgeary a modern rank of #12,978.

What does the Mcgeary surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Odhraigh or Mac Giorra, meaning son of the traveler or pilgrim.

What does the Mcgeary map show?

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