NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcginty

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac an tSaoi," meaning "son of the scholar or storyteller."

In the 1881 census there were 829 people recorded with the Mcginty surname, ranking it #4,542 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,184, ranked #2,969, up from #4,542 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gartcosh and Marnock, Ibrox East and Cessnock and Craigmillar.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcginty is 2,223 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 163.4%.

1881 census count

829

Ranked #4,542

Modern count

2,184

2016, ranked #2,969

Peak year

2010

2,223 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcginty had 829 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,542 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,184 in 2016, ranked #2,969.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,067 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcginty surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcginty surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcginty 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 287 #7,909
1861 historical 407 #6,306
1881 historical 829 #4,542
1891 historical 945 #4,384
1901 historical 1,067 #4,525
1911 historical 324 #10,814
1997 modern 2,031 #3,020
1998 modern 2,106 #3,031
1999 modern 2,145 #3,005
2000 modern 2,115 #3,021
2001 modern 2,074 #3,014
2002 modern 2,150 #2,984
2003 modern 2,056 #3,049
2004 modern 2,074 #3,024
2005 modern 2,086 #2,958
2006 modern 2,115 #2,933
2007 modern 2,148 #2,917
2008 modern 2,141 #2,955
2009 modern 2,167 #2,993
2010 modern 2,223 #2,986
2011 modern 2,179 #3,000
2012 modern 2,142 #2,988
2013 modern 2,185 #2,983
2014 modern 2,203 #2,978
2015 modern 2,189 #2,967
2016 modern 2,184 #2,969

Geography

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Where Mcgintys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Gartcosh and Marnock, Ibrox East and Cessnock, Craigmillar, Forth, Braehead and Auchengray and IZ14. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gartcosh and Marnock North Lanarkshire
2 Ibrox East and Cessnock Glasgow City
3 Craigmillar City of Edinburgh
4 Forth, Braehead and Auchengray South Lanarkshire
5 IZ14 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcginty

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcginty

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

Mcginty is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mcginty

The surname McGinty is of Irish origin, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is a variant of the Scottish name MacKinnie or McKinnie, which was derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Ionmhuinn," meaning "son of the beloved one."

The McGinty name was primarily concentrated in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in the regions of Ulster and Donegal. It is believed that the name's earliest recorded appearance was in the Fiants of the Irish Chancery during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the McGinty name was Seán Óg McGinty, a prominent Irish chieftain and landowner who lived in the early 17th century. He was known for his involvement in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, which aimed to secure greater rights and freedoms for Catholics in Ireland.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the McGinty name appeared in various historical records and documents, such as the Hearth Money Rolls and the Census of Ireland. Notable individuals from this period include Patrick McGinty (1670-1748), a renowned poet and storyteller from County Donegal, and Bridget McGinty (1725-1802), a respected herbalist and healer from County Tyrone.

In the 19th century, the McGinty name gained prominence with the birth of John McGinty (1819-1892), a successful businessman and politician who served as a member of the Irish Parliament. He was instrumental in advocating for better working conditions and rights for Irish workers during the Industrial Revolution.

Another notable figure was Mary McGinty (1845-1923), a pioneering educator who founded several schools in the United States, catering to the education of Irish immigrants and their children. She was widely recognized for her dedication to promoting literacy and cultural preservation among the Irish-American community.

The McGinty surname has also been carried by several notable artists and writers, including the Irish novelist and playwright Séamus McGinty (1877-1954), whose works explored the complexities of Irish identity and the struggles of the working class.

Throughout its history, the McGinty name has undergone various spelling variations, such as McGinley, McGinney, and McGinlay, reflecting the fluidity of language and regional dialects in Ireland and Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcginty families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcginty 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 17 Mcgintys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.08x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 17 4.08x
Northumberland 7 13.40x
Durham 6 5.74x
Yorkshire 4 1.15x
Cheshire 1 1.29x
Hampshire 1 1.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chorlton On Medlock in Lancashire leads with 7 Mcgintys recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.74x.

Place Total Index
Chorlton On Medlock 7 105.74x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 160.26x
Gateshead 4 51.15x
Leeds 4 20.36x
Manchester 4 21.34x
Toxteth Park 3 21.26x
Ebchester 2 1250.00x
Kirkdale 2 28.53x
Throckley 2 1428.57x
Aldershot 1 41.49x
Birkenhead 1 16.18x
West Derby 1 8.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Agnes 2
Annie 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Eliz 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Frances 1
Janet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 4
John 4
Robert 3
Peter 2
Antry 1
Edward 1
Hugh 1
Michael 1
Terence 1
Thomas 1
Thos. 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 Mcginty households.

FAQ

Mcginty surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcginty surname in 1881?

In 1881, 829 people were recorded with the Mcginty surname. That placed it at #4,542 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcginty surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,184 in 2016. That gives Mcginty a modern rank of #2,969.

What does the Mcginty surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac an tSaoi," meaning "son of the scholar or storyteller."

What does the Mcginty map show?

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