NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcginn

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the pleasant one" or "son of Fionn's servant."

In the 1881 census there were 616 people recorded with the Mcginn surname, ranking it #5,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,927, ranked #3,315, up from #5,709 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Cumnock, Machars South and Drongan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcginn is 1,989 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 212.8%.

1881 census count

616

Ranked #5,709

Modern count

1,927

2016, ranked #3,315

Peak year

2014

1,989 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcginn had 616 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,927 in 2016, ranked #3,315.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,013 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcginn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcginn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcginn 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 271 #8,257
1861 historical 313 #8,103
1881 historical 616 #5,709
1891 historical 720 #5,479
1901 historical 1,013 #4,708
1911 historical 484 #8,026
1997 modern 1,873 #3,217
1998 modern 1,945 #3,225
1999 modern 1,952 #3,239
2000 modern 1,939 #3,246
2001 modern 1,879 #3,269
2002 modern 1,902 #3,310
2003 modern 1,862 #3,290
2004 modern 1,853 #3,308
2005 modern 1,832 #3,310
2006 modern 1,823 #3,335
2007 modern 1,882 #3,280
2008 modern 1,913 #3,257
2009 modern 1,956 #3,277
2010 modern 1,967 #3,321
2011 modern 1,942 #3,323
2012 modern 1,923 #3,293
2013 modern 1,974 #3,283
2014 modern 1,989 #3,276
2015 modern 1,953 #3,292
2016 modern 1,927 #3,315

Geography

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Where Mcginns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Cumnock, Machars South, Drongan, Cumnock South and Craigens and Stevenston Hayocks. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Cumnock East Ayrshire
2 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
3 Drongan East Ayrshire
4 Cumnock South and Craigens East Ayrshire
5 Stevenston Hayocks North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcginn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcginn

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

Mcginn 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcginn

The surname McGinn has its origins in Ireland, arising during the medieval period. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Ginn, which means "son of Ginn." The name Ginn itself is derived from the Old Irish word "genn," meaning "bright" or "radiant."

The McGinn surname is most prevalent in counties Donegal, Tyrone, and Armagh, suggesting that its earliest bearers were located in the northern regions of Ireland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle that covers events in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th centuries.

One of the earliest known McGinns was Seán Óg Mac Ginn, a 16th-century Irish chieftain who ruled over the territory of Trough in County Monaghan. He was involved in numerous conflicts with the English authorities during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.

Another notable bearer of the name was Patrick McGinn, a 17th-century Irish priest and historian who authored the work "De Praesulibus Hiberniae," a chronicle of the lives of Irish bishops.

In the 18th century, James McGinn (1744-1817) was a prominent Irish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Carrickfergus from 1790 to 1800.

During the 19th century, Eliza McGinn (1819-1892) was a notable Irish novelist and poet who published several works under the pen name "Ethna Elliot."

One of the most famous McGinns of the 20th century was Roger McGinn (1944-2002), an American singer-songwriter and co-founder of the influential folk rock band The Byrds.

The name McGinn has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Ballymacginn in County Antrim and Ballinamcginn in County Armagh, further reflecting its deep roots in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcginn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcginn 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 24 Mcginns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.69x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 24 6.69x
Northumberland 3 6.67x
Durham 2 2.22x
Cheshire 1 1.50x
Essex 1 1.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 8 Mcginns recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.57x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 8 49.57x
Toxteth Park 6 49.38x
Walton On Hill 5 257.73x
Liverpool 4 18.36x
Haydon 3 1200.00x
Sunderland 2 125.79x
Birkenhead 1 18.80x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 35.09x
West Ham 1 7.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 2
Sarah 2
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Elizebeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 4
Peter 3
Francis 1
Hugh 1
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
William 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 Mcginn households.

FAQ

Mcginn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcginn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 616 people were recorded with the Mcginn surname. That placed it at #5,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcginn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,927 in 2016. That gives Mcginn a modern rank of #3,315.

What does the Mcginn surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the pleasant one" or "son of Fionn's servant."

What does the Mcginn map show?

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