NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcgonigal

A surname of Scottish origin meaning "son of the brown-haired lad" or "son of the brown soldier".

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Mcgonigal surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 316, ranked #14,227, up from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, West Calder and Airth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Calder and Polbeth, Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH and Carron.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcgonigal is 335 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 259.1%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

316

2016, ranked #14,227

Peak year

2010

335 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcgonigal had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 316 in 2016, ranked #14,227.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 158 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcgonigal surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcgonigal surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcgonigal 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 59 #26,466
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 158 #17,705
1901 historical 135 #19,203
1911 historical 40 #28,913
1997 modern 274 #14,374
1998 modern 299 #13,908
1999 modern 300 #13,958
2000 modern 309 #13,651
2001 modern 301 #13,700
2002 modern 303 #13,909
2003 modern 301 #13,785
2004 modern 298 #13,937
2005 modern 303 #13,757
2006 modern 307 #13,695
2007 modern 314 #13,618
2008 modern 317 #13,632
2009 modern 333 #13,434
2010 modern 335 #13,645
2011 modern 331 #13,641
2012 modern 315 #14,031
2013 modern 324 #13,961
2014 modern 318 #14,246
2015 modern 322 #14,023
2016 modern 316 #14,227

Geography

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Where Mcgonigals are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, West Calder, Airth, Edinburgh and Latheron. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Calder and Polbeth, Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH, Carron, Carronshore and Kilbirnie South and Longbar. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 West Calder Edinburgh
3 Airth Stirling
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Latheron Caithness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Calder and Polbeth West Lothian
2 Gourock Central, Upper East and IRH Inverclyde
3 Carron Falkirk
4 Carronshore Falkirk
5 Kilbirnie South and Longbar North Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcgonigal

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcgonigal

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mcgonigal is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcgonigal 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

Mcgonigal falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcgonigal 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcgonigal

The surname MCGONIGAL is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Mac Conogail or Mac Conghail, meaning "son of Conghal". Conghal was an Irish personal name that was derived from the combination of the Gaelic elements "cu" meaning hound, and "gal" meaning valor or bravery.

The surname is believed to have originated in County Donegal, Ireland, in the early medieval period. It was a prominent name among the clans and families of the region, particularly in the area around Inishowen. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be "MacConghaill" in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, several members of the MCGONIGAL family were noted for their resistance against the English forces. One such individual was Ruaidhrí MacConghaill, who is mentioned in the Annals as leading a rebellion against the English in Inishowen in 1588.

The name MCGONIGAL can be found in various historical records throughout the centuries, including the Hearth Money Rolls of the 17th century and the Petty Census of Ireland in the late 1600s. These records often list different spellings of the name, such as McGonagall, McGonnagall, and McGonnigle.

Notable individuals with the surname MCGONIGAL include:

1. William Ramsay MCGONIGAL (1825-1902), a Scottish poet and dramatist known for his works in the Lowland Scots dialect. 2. John MCGONIGAL (1853-1910), an Irish-born American labor leader and politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly. 3. James MCGONIGAL (1934-2002), an American actor and voice artist best known for his roles in films such as "The Grifters" and "The Fugitive". 4. Liam MCGONIGAL (born 1965), an Irish playwright and screenwriter whose works have been performed in Ireland and the United States. 5. Sarah MCGONIGAL (born 1977), a Canadian actress and filmmaker, known for her roles in independent films and television series.

While the MCGONIGAL surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish emigration to Britain, North America, and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcgonigal families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcgonigal 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. Warwickshire leads with 9 Mcgonigals recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.69x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 9 36.69x
Lancashire 1 0.87x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 9 Mcgonigals recorded in 1881 and an index of 110.02x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 9 110.02x
Kirkdale 1 51.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Martha 2
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Mary 1
Nelly 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Daniel 2
William 2

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 Mcgonigal households.

FAQ

Mcgonigal surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcgonigal surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Mcgonigal surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcgonigal surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 316 in 2016. That gives Mcgonigal a modern rank of #14,227.

What does the Mcgonigal surname mean?

A surname of Scottish origin meaning "son of the brown-haired lad" or "son of the brown soldier".

What does the Mcgonigal map show?

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