NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgeever

An Anglicized version of the Irish surname Mac Geibhtheir, meaning "son of the ploughman" or "son of the tiller of the soil."

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Mcgeever surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 495, ranked #10,052, up from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Wigan and Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ08, East Riding of Yorkshire and IZ04.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgeever is 542 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 469.0%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

495

2016, ranked #10,052

Peak year

2010

542 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgeever had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 495 in 2016, ranked #10,052.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 134 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mcgeever surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgeever surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgeever 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 33 #29,814
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 103 #23,558
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 134 #19,131
1997 modern 487 #9,482
1998 modern 508 #9,473
1999 modern 526 #9,295
2000 modern 496 #9,689
2001 modern 493 #9,574
2002 modern 503 #9,591
2003 modern 494 #9,572
2004 modern 477 #9,833
2005 modern 475 #9,804
2006 modern 483 #9,722
2007 modern 498 #9,592
2008 modern 496 #9,694
2009 modern 528 #9,453
2010 modern 542 #9,461
2011 modern 532 #9,512
2012 modern 501 #9,843
2013 modern 510 #9,871
2014 modern 503 #10,038
2015 modern 495 #10,070
2016 modern 495 #10,052

Geography

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Where Mcgeevers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Wigan, Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby), Blackburn and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ08, East Riding of Yorkshire, IZ04, IZ02 and Canongate, Southside and Dumbiedykes. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby) Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ08 West Dunbartonshire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 IZ04 West Dunbartonshire
4 IZ02 West Dunbartonshire
5 Canongate, Southside and Dumbiedykes City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgeever

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgeever

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mcgeever surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mcgeever household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mcgeever is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mcgeever 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

Mcgeever 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 Mcgeever is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcgeever, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcgeever

The surname MCGEEVER is of Irish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It originated in County Mayo, Ireland, and is derived from the Gaelic word "Mac Gaibhtheachair," which means "son of the watchman" or "son of the watcher."

The name is believed to have been first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the early 17th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in a document from 1301, which mentions a "Domhnall Mac Gaibhtheachair."

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest of Ireland, a collection of legal documents from the reign of King Henry VIII. It was spelled as "McGevir" and referred to a landowner in County Mayo.

One of the most notable historical figures with the surname MCGEEVER was John McGeevor (1578-1644), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer. He was highly respected for his legal acumen and played a significant role in the administration of justice during the turbulent years of the Irish Confederate Wars.

Another prominent individual was Terence McGeevor (1700-1768), a Catholic priest and mathematician from County Down, Ireland. He is credited with publishing one of the earliest works on algebraic geometry in the English language, titled "An Essay on the Doctrine of Fluxions and Infinite Series" (1764).

In the 19th century, Patrick McGever (1825-1892) was a prominent Irish nationalist and journalist who advocated for Irish independence from British rule. He founded and edited several influential newspapers, including the "Irish Felon" and the "Irish People."

The name MCGEEVER has also been linked to various place names in Ireland, such as Ballymagevir (meaning "town of the McGevirs") and Aghamcgeever (meaning "field of the McGevirs"), both located in County Mayo.

Throughout history, the name MCGEEVER has been spelled in various ways, including McGevir, McGivir, McGauvir, and McGivver, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of Ireland and the variations in how the name was recorded and pronounced over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgeever families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgeever 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 10 Mcgeevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.32x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 10 3.32x
Durham 9 11.93x
Staffordshire 7 8.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Over Darwen in Lancashire leads with 10 Mcgeevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 416.67x.

Place Total Index
Over Darwen 10 416.67x
Ryhope 8 1538.46x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 77.09x
Whitton 1 1666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Thomas 3
Andrew 2
James 2
Alick 1
Christopher 1
John 1
Michael 1
Patrick 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 Mcgeever households.

FAQ

Mcgeever surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgeever surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Mcgeever surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgeever surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 495 in 2016. That gives Mcgeever a modern rank of #10,052.

What does the Mcgeever surname mean?

An Anglicized version of the Irish surname Mac Geibhtheir, meaning "son of the ploughman" or "son of the tiller of the soil."

What does the Mcgeever map show?

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