NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgimpsey

A Scottish surname from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac an Ghiomsaigh, meaning "son of the brindled or striped one".

In the 1881 census there were 30 people recorded with the Mcgimpsey surname, ranking it #29,363 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, up from #29,363 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Langholm and Eskdale, Milton Keynes and Yoker South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgimpsey is 210 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 563.3%.

1881 census count

30

Ranked #29,363

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

2009

210 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgimpsey had 30 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,363 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 87 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Mcgimpsey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgimpsey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgimpsey 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 14 #32,072
1881 historical 30 #29,363
1891 historical 53 #29,946
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 18 #31,542
1997 modern 162 #20,107
1998 modern 166 #20,329
1999 modern 184 #19,178
2000 modern 175 #19,764
2001 modern 178 #19,288
2002 modern 191 #18,817
2003 modern 184 #19,075
2004 modern 184 #19,183
2005 modern 183 #19,194
2006 modern 190 #18,898
2007 modern 194 #18,855
2008 modern 202 #18,528
2009 modern 210 #18,426
2010 modern 209 #18,893
2011 modern 208 #18,783
2012 modern 196 #19,463
2013 modern 202 #19,389
2014 modern 208 #19,194
2015 modern 200 #19,567
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Mcgimpseys 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 Langholm and Eskdale, Milton Keynes, Yoker South, Knapdale and IZ10. 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 Langholm and Eskdale Dumfries and Galloway
2 Milton Keynes 016 Milton Keynes
3 Yoker South Glasgow City
4 Knapdale Argyll and Bute
5 IZ10 East Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgimpsey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgimpsey

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

Established Mature Families

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

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, Mcgimpsey 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

Mcgimpsey is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcgimpsey falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcgimpsey 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 Mcgimpsey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcgimpsey

The surname McGimpsey has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "giomp" meaning "twisted" or "crooked", referring to a physical characteristic or occupation of an ancestor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the records of the Burgh of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, where a John McGimpsey is mentioned in 1532. The name also appears in the Parish Records of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, with the baptism of Robert McGimpsey in 1642.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the McGimpsey family spread across various regions of Scotland, with some members also migrating to Ulster, Ireland. In the 1841 Census of Ireland, the name was predominantly concentrated in County Antrim and County Down.

Notable individuals with the surname McGimpsey include:

1. Robert McGimpsey (1820-1897), a Scottish-born farmer and local politician in Ontario, Canada. 2. Andrew McGimpsey (1855-1933), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. 3. William McGimpsey (1865-1938), a Scottish-born farmer and political figure in British Columbia, Canada. 4. John McGimpsey (1871-1953), an Irish-born farmer and businessman in Queensland, Australia. 5. James McGimpsey (1898-1976), a Canadian soldier and recipient of the Military Cross during World War I.

The surname McGimpsey has also been found with variations in spelling, such as McGimpsy, McGimpsie, and McGimpsay, reflecting the phonetic adaptations and regional dialects of different areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mcgimpsey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgimpsey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 30 people were recorded with the Mcgimpsey surname. That placed it at #29,363 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgimpsey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Mcgimpsey a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Mcgimpsey surname mean?

A Scottish surname from an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac an Ghiomsaigh, meaning "son of the brindled or striped one".

What does the Mcgimpsey map show?

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