NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgibbon

Scottish surname derived from a nickname meaning "the prominent church member."

In the 1881 census there were 885 people recorded with the Mcgibbon surname, ranking it #4,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,117, ranked #5,273, down from #4,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Alyth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Parkhead West and Barrowfield, South Tyneside and Morningside and Craighouse.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgibbon is 1,137 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.2%.

1881 census count

885

Ranked #4,292

Modern count

1,117

2016, ranked #5,273

Peak year

2014

1,137 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgibbon had 885 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,117 in 2016, ranked #5,273.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,117 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcgibbon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgibbon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgibbon 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 551 #4,596
1861 historical 630 #4,254
1881 historical 885 #4,292
1891 historical 916 #4,511
1901 historical 1,117 #4,334
1911 historical 240 #13,281
1997 modern 1,032 #5,346
1998 modern 1,062 #5,400
1999 modern 1,086 #5,342
2000 modern 1,067 #5,393
2001 modern 1,036 #5,427
2002 modern 1,061 #5,429
2003 modern 1,062 #5,331
2004 modern 1,085 #5,253
2005 modern 1,086 #5,177
2006 modern 1,068 #5,253
2007 modern 1,078 #5,269
2008 modern 1,080 #5,295
2009 modern 1,100 #5,316
2010 modern 1,126 #5,330
2011 modern 1,098 #5,382
2012 modern 1,078 #5,378
2013 modern 1,111 #5,330
2014 modern 1,137 #5,258
2015 modern 1,127 #5,241
2016 modern 1,117 #5,273

Geography

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Where Mcgibbons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Alyth, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Parkhead West and Barrowfield, South Tyneside, Morningside and Craighouse, Calderdale and Bonnybridge. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Alyth Perth
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Parkhead West and Barrowfield Glasgow City
2 South Tyneside 015 South Tyneside
3 Morningside and Craighouse City of Edinburgh
4 Calderdale 006 Calderdale
5 Bonnybridge Falkirk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgibbon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgibbon

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcgibbon is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcgibbon 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

Mcgibbon 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 Mcgibbon is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgibbon

The surname McGibbon is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Giobúnán, which means "little hawk" or "little falcon." The name is believed to have originated in the Western Isles of Scotland, particularly in the Isle of Mull and the surrounding areas.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the late 16th century, with a reference to one Gibbun McRynold in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1597. Another early record mentions a Duncan McGibbon in the Parish Registers of Kilmichael Glassary, Argyll, in 1639.

The McGibbon surname has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including McGibbon, McGibbun, McGibben, and McGibbon. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the influence of regional dialects.

One notable historical figure bearing the McGibbon surname was Archibald McGibbon (1689-1756), a Scottish lawyer and Judge of the Court of Session in Scotland. He was appointed to the bench in 1741 and served until his death in 1756.

Another prominent individual was John McGibbon (1834-1891), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Missisquoi from 1887 to 1891.

In the literary world, John McGibbon (1689-1770) was a Scottish poet and schoolmaster from Ayrshire. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Scots Scout Reviv'd," published in 1720.

James McGibbon (1737-1800) was a Scottish architect and civil engineer who worked on various projects in Ireland and England, including the construction of the Richmond Penitentiary in Dublin.

Lastly, Alexander McGibbon (1759-1835) was a Scottish merchant and philanthropist from Glasgow. He made significant contributions to the city's charitable organizations and was instrumental in establishing the Glasgow Asylum for Lunatics (now known as Gartnavel Royal Hospital).

Overall, the surname McGibbon has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands and Isles, with notable individuals contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgibbon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgibbon 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 14 Mcgibbons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 14 4.84x
Middlesex 6 2.46x
Essex 2 4.16x
Lanarkshire 1 1.27x
Midlothian 1 3.06x
Yorkshire 1 0.41x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 10 Mcgibbons recorded in 1881 and an index of 108.58x.

Place Total Index
Everton 10 108.58x
Bromley London 5 93.28x
Toxteth Park 3 30.64x
Hornchurch 2 833.33x
Barrow In Furness 1 25.45x
Chelsea London 1 13.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 7.62x
Govan 1 5.13x
Knaresborough 1 263.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Clara 2
Louisa 2
Mary 2
Alice 1
Caroline 1
Elizabeth 1
Fanny 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
William 3
Robert 2
Alexander 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Duncan 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 Mcgibbon households.

FAQ

Mcgibbon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgibbon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 885 people were recorded with the Mcgibbon surname. That placed it at #4,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgibbon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,117 in 2016. That gives Mcgibbon a modern rank of #5,273.

What does the Mcgibbon surname mean?

Scottish surname derived from a nickname meaning "the prominent church member."

What does the Mcgibbon map show?

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