NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgee

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Aodha," meaning "son of Hugh" or "son of Aodh."

In the 1881 census there were 3,061 people recorded with the Mcgee surname, ranking it #1,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,658, ranked #1,184, up from #1,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Govanhill East and Aikenhead, Peterhead Harbour and Peterhead Links.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgee is 5,683 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 84.8%.

1881 census count

3,061

Ranked #1,467

Modern count

5,658

2016, ranked #1,184

Peak year

2014

5,683 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgee had 3,061 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,658 in 2016, ranked #1,184.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,061 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcgee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgee surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgee 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 1,623 #1,772
1861 historical 1,862 #1,558
1881 historical 3,061 #1,467
1891 historical 2,883 #1,642
1901 historical 3,050 #1,835
1911 historical 1,986 #2,499
1997 modern 5,056 #1,292
1998 modern 5,215 #1,300
1999 modern 5,274 #1,295
2000 modern 5,213 #1,305
2001 modern 5,095 #1,304
2002 modern 5,309 #1,282
2003 modern 5,156 #1,285
2004 modern 5,171 #1,280
2005 modern 5,183 #1,261
2006 modern 5,188 #1,261
2007 modern 5,279 #1,242
2008 modern 5,357 #1,231
2009 modern 5,505 #1,227
2010 modern 5,650 #1,220
2011 modern 5,561 #1,225
2012 modern 5,518 #1,205
2013 modern 5,622 #1,206
2014 modern 5,683 #1,203
2015 modern 5,676 #1,193
2016 modern 5,658 #1,184

Geography

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Where Mcgees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Govanhill East and Aikenhead, Peterhead Harbour, Peterhead Links, Toryglen and Oatlands and Darlington. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Govanhill East and Aikenhead Glasgow City
2 Peterhead Harbour Aberdeenshire
3 Peterhead Links Aberdeenshire
4 Toryglen and Oatlands Glasgow City
5 Darlington 006 Darlington

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgee

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

Mcgee 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgee

The surname McGee has its origins in the Gaelic language of Ireland. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Mac Gedhaigh, which means "son of Gedhaigh". The name Gedhaigh is derived from the word "gedh", meaning "wild goose".

The McGee surname is believed to have emerged in the early medieval period, around the 10th or 11th century. It was first recorded in County Fermanagh, in the northern part of Ireland, where the name is most prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McGee surname can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Gilla-Pádraig Mac Gedhaigh" in the year 1162.

In the 16th century, the McGee family held lands in County Fermanagh and played a prominent role in the local politics and conflicts of the region. During this time, the name was sometimes spelled as "McGee", "McGhee", or "Magee".

A notable figure from this era was Cormac McGee, a chieftain who fought against the English forces during the Nine Years' War (1594-1603). He was killed in battle in 1600.

In the 17th century, many McGees were among the Irish emigrants who fled to continental Europe during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Some settled in Spain, France, and other European countries, where their name was often Hispanicized as "Maguez" or "Maguay".

One of the most famous bearers of the McGee surname was William McGee (1766-1832), an Irish-born soldier and explorer who served in the British Army and participated in several important expeditions in Australia and the Pacific region.

Another notable McGee was Thomas D'Arcy McGee (1825-1868), an Irish-Canadian journalist, politician, and one of the Fathers of Confederation in Canada. He was assassinated in 1868, allegedly for his role in the Canadian Confederation.

In the 19th century, many McGees emigrated from Ireland to the United States and other parts of the English-speaking world, contributing to the widespread distribution of the surname today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgee 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 87 Mcgees recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.31x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 87 2.31x
Cumberland 48 17.53x
Durham 43 4.55x
Yorkshire 29 0.92x
Northumberland 25 5.28x
Middlesex 23 0.72x
Cheshire 18 2.56x
Kent 8 0.74x
Hampshire 6 0.92x
Staffordshire 6 0.56x
Warwickshire 5 0.62x
Glamorgan 4 0.72x
Lanarkshire 4 0.39x
Surrey 4 0.26x
Worcestershire 4 0.96x
Devon 3 0.45x
Gloucestershire 3 0.48x
Denbighshire 1 0.83x
Dorset 1 0.48x
Lincolnshire 1 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.23x
Renfrewshire 1 0.41x
Westmorland 1 1.43x

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 23 Mcgees recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.04x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 23 10.04x
Whitehaven 18 123.37x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 15 36.61x
Toxteth Park 11 8.61x
Chirton 10 93.37x
Manchester 9 5.30x
Workington 9 57.40x
Escomb 8 183.91x
West Derby 8 7.25x
Wooldale 8 149.81x
Gateshead 7 9.88x
Tonge 7 88.38x
Westgate 7 23.89x
York St Maurice 7 118.04x
Heworth 6 32.19x
Holy Trinity 6 7.92x
Kirkdale 6 9.45x
Newton In Ashton Under 6 86.58x
Ratcliffe London 6 34.17x
Salford 6 5.41x
St Cuthbert Within 6 189.27x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 6 96.00x
Wolstanton 6 18.40x
Caldewgate 5 33.33x
Chester St John Baptist 5 39.62x
Egerton 5 526.32x
Everton 5 4.16x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 17.69x
Sheffield 5 4.98x
Coventry Holy Trinity 4 16.71x
North Meols 4 10.83x
Portsea 4 3.13x
Rutherglen 4 26.51x
St George In East 4 18.49x
Bishopwearmouth 3 3.69x
Islington London 3 0.97x
Lambeth 3 1.08x
Parton 3 185.19x
St Pancras London 3 1.17x
Swansea St Thomas 3 53.96x
Tynemouth 3 11.84x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 3.41x
Broughton In Salford 2 5.80x
Claines 2 17.54x
Cleator 2 17.54x
Darlington 2 5.48x
Mile End Old Town 2 3.98x
Ormskirk 2 27.70x
St Cuthbert W O 2 14.98x
Worcester St Martin 2 35.71x
Armley 1 7.19x
Barrow In Furness 1 1.95x
Birkenhead 1 1.79x
Bow London 1 2.47x
Bradpole 1 58.48x
Briton Ferry 1 15.13x
Cornforth 1 35.84x
Croydon 1 1.16x
Devonport 1 13.14x
East Greenock 1 4.30x
East Stonehouse 1 7.67x
Egremont 1 15.31x
Halifax 1 2.16x
Harrington 1 30.30x
Hethersgill 1 156.25x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 1 59.52x
Lenton 1 9.90x
Linthorpe 1 5.32x
Maidstone 1 3.09x
Minster In Sheppey 1 5.56x
Oswaldtwistle 1 7.50x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 1.96x
Portsmouth 1 6.66x
St Helens 1 21.10x
St Martin In Fields 1 5.25x
St Nicholas Lincoln 1 20.58x
Ulverston 1 9.10x
Warrington 1 2.24x
Whitechapel London 1 3.19x
Wrexham Regis 1 11.21x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 34
Jane 8
Elizabeth 7
Margaret 7
Alice 6
Catherine 6
Ann 5
Bridget 5
Eliza 5
Martha 5
Sarah 5
Annie 3
Ellen 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Theresa 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Anastatia 1
Bathia 1
Beatrice 1
Catharine 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Florance 1
Helen 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Letetia 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Olive 1
Polly 1
Rose 1
Rosie 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 33
John 30
James 27
Thomas 13
Patrick 8
Charles 6
Hugh 6
Joseph 6
Edward 5
Henry 5
Peter 4
Francis 3
Alfred 2
Barney 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
George 2
Michael 2
Robert 2
Barnard 1
Bengamine 1
Bernard 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Davile 1
Denis 1
Dennis 1
Hance 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Louis 1
Martin 1
Owen 1
Stephen 1
Steven 1
Tencernes 1

FAQ

Mcgee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,061 people were recorded with the Mcgee surname. That placed it at #1,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,658 in 2016. That gives Mcgee a modern rank of #1,184.

What does the Mcgee surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Aodha," meaning "son of Hugh" or "son of Aodh."

What does the Mcgee map show?

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