NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgirr

Scottish surname meaning "son of the brindled person."

In the 1881 census there were 31 people recorded with the Mcgirr surname, ranking it #29,218 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 507, ranked #9,897, up from #29,218 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Borgue, Rerrick and Morton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Chesterfield and Johnstone South West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgirr is 517 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1535.5%.

1881 census count

31

Ranked #29,218

Modern count

507

2016, ranked #9,897

Peak year

2010

517 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgirr had 31 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,218 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 507 in 2016, ranked #9,897.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 108 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcgirr surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgirr surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgirr 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 31 #29,218
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 18 #31,542
1997 modern 388 #11,255
1998 modern 423 #10,899
1999 modern 435 #10,754
2000 modern 417 #11,068
2001 modern 409 #11,032
2002 modern 434 #10,751
2003 modern 423 #10,805
2004 modern 437 #10,557
2005 modern 450 #10,209
2006 modern 454 #10,180
2007 modern 471 #9,992
2008 modern 474 #10,040
2009 modern 497 #9,911
2010 modern 517 #9,792
2011 modern 502 #9,923
2012 modern 495 #9,941
2013 modern 493 #10,119
2014 modern 508 #9,972
2015 modern 504 #9,944
2016 modern 507 #9,897

Geography

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Where Mcgirrs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Borgue, Rerrick, Morton, Govan Combination and Kirkcudbright. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Chesterfield, Johnstone South West, Liverpool and East Staffordshire. 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 Borgue Kirkcudbright
2 Rerrick Kirkcudbright
3 Morton Dumfries
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 009 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Chesterfield 003 Chesterfield
3 Johnstone South West Renfrewshire
4 Liverpool 042 Liverpool
5 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgirr

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgirr

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Mcgirr is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mcgirr is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcgirr falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgirr

The surname McGirr has its roots in Ireland, originating sometime in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Giorra, which means "son of the short-haired man." The name is most closely associated with County Down and parts of Ulster, particularly around the Mourne Mountains and the Ards Peninsula.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle, which mentions a Dermot MacGiorra in 1180. The name also surfaces in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a 14th century taxation record, listing a Richard MacGyrryre as a landowner.

In the 16th century, several McGirrs are recorded in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest, which documented land grants and offices. Notably, a Patrick McGirr was granted lands in County Down in 1587. Around this time, alternate spellings like McGyrre and McGyrry were common.

The name has ties to several place names in Ireland, such as Drumgirr (from the Irish Druim Giorra, meaning "ridge of the short-haired man") and Ballygirr. These place names likely originated from the McGirr clan's former strongholds.

Some notable historical figures with the McGirr surname include:

1. Cormac McGirr (c. 1570-1640), a Franciscan friar and author of historical works on Ireland. 2. Patrick McGirr (1773-1846), an Irish politician and landowner who served as High Sheriff of Down. 3. John McGirr (1820-1894), an Irish-American Civil War veteran and businessman in New York. 4. Mary McGirr (1855-1941), an educator and activist for women's rights in Ireland. 5. Hugh McGirr (1891-1967), an Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament for Armagh.

While the name is still found in Ireland today, particularly in Ulster, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mcgirr surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgirr surname in 1881?

In 1881, 31 people were recorded with the Mcgirr surname. That placed it at #29,218 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgirr surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 507 in 2016. That gives Mcgirr a modern rank of #9,897.

What does the Mcgirr surname mean?

Scottish surname meaning "son of the brindled person."

What does the Mcgirr map show?

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