NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcguigan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Uiginn," meaning "son of Uiginn," a personal name of unknown meaning.

In the 1881 census there were 484 people recorded with the Mcguigan surname, ranking it #6,939 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,079, ranked #2,190, up from #6,939 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Bothwell and Rutherglen. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caldercruix and Plains, County Durham and Thrashbush.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcguigan is 3,150 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 536.2%.

1881 census count

484

Ranked #6,939

Modern count

3,079

2016, ranked #2,190

Peak year

2010

3,150 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcguigan had 484 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,939 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,079 in 2016, ranked #2,190.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 779 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcguigan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcguigan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcguigan 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 111 #16,006
1861 historical 199 #12,062
1881 historical 484 #6,939
1891 historical 607 #6,324
1901 historical 779 #5,767
1911 historical 244 #13,127
1997 modern 2,667 #2,391
1998 modern 2,779 #2,387
1999 modern 2,847 #2,365
2000 modern 2,888 #2,332
2001 modern 2,817 #2,336
2002 modern 2,900 #2,322
2003 modern 2,857 #2,301
2004 modern 2,884 #2,285
2005 modern 2,897 #2,235
2006 modern 2,887 #2,245
2007 modern 2,963 #2,203
2008 modern 2,994 #2,194
2009 modern 3,087 #2,187
2010 modern 3,150 #2,194
2011 modern 3,118 #2,188
2012 modern 3,000 #2,222
2013 modern 3,051 #2,231
2014 modern 3,086 #2,214
2015 modern 3,078 #2,194
2016 modern 3,079 #2,190

Geography

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Where Mcguigans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Bothwell, Rutherglen, Govan Combination and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caldercruix and Plains, County Durham and Thrashbush. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Bothwell Lanark
3 Rutherglen Lanark
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caldercruix and Plains North Lanarkshire
2 County Durham 010 County Durham
3 County Durham 012 County Durham
4 County Durham 014 County Durham
5 Thrashbush North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcguigan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcguigan

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

Mcguigan is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mcguigan

The surname McGuigan is of Irish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name "Mac Uidhilin," which means "son of Uidhilin," with Uidhilin being a diminutive of the personal name Uidhir, derived from the word "odhar" meaning "pale" or "dun-colored."

The name is believed to have originated in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, where the McGuigans were part of the Uí Chremthainn sept of the Airghialla people. The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Annals of Ulster from the year 1198, which mentions a "Mac Uidhilin."

In the 14th century, the McGuigans were among the many Irish families who were dispossessed of their lands during the Plantation of Ulster. As a result, they dispersed throughout Ireland, with significant populations settling in counties such as Tyrone, Donegal, and Derry.

The name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including McGuigan, McGuiggan, McGuigan, McGuiggen, and McGuiggin. Some notable historical figures bearing the McGuigan surname include:

1. Bernard McGuigan (1849-1928), an Irish-American labor leader and prominent figure in the American Labor Movement. 2. Patrick McGuigan (1811-1877), an Irish journalist and political activist, known for his involvement in the Young Ireland movement. 3. John McGuigan (1853-1933), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia, from 1920 to 1933. 4. James McGuigan (1834-1886), an Irish-born Australian politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales. 5. Thomas McGuigan (1892-1957), an Irish Nationalist and member of the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence.

The McGuigan name has also been associated with various place names, such as McGuigan's Bridge in County Fermanagh and McGuigan's Lough in County Tyrone, both of which are believed to have been named after members of the McGuigan clan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcguigan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcguigan 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. Cumberland leads with 6 Mcguigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 44.68x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 6 44.68x
Lancashire 3 1.62x
Cornwall 2 11.33x
Durham 1 2.15x
Glamorgan 1 3.68x
Northumberland 1 4.31x
Surrey 1 1.32x
Yorkshire 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Parton in Cumberland leads with 5 Mcguigans recorded in 1881 and an index of 6250.00x.

Place Total Index
Parton 5 6250.00x
Bodmin 2 689.66x
Liverpool 2 17.79x
Barnsley 1 62.89x
Birtley 1 526.32x
Cardiff St Mary 1 66.67x
Cleator 1 178.57x
Cowpen 1 188.68x
Crumpsall 1 227.27x
Kingston On Thames 1 54.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Agnes 1
Margaret 1
Tryphena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Arthur 1
Bernard 1
Francis 1
James 1
Luke 1
Michael 1
Samuel 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 Mcguigan households.

FAQ

Mcguigan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcguigan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 484 people were recorded with the Mcguigan surname. That placed it at #6,939 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcguigan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,079 in 2016. That gives Mcguigan a modern rank of #2,190.

What does the Mcguigan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Uiginn," meaning "son of Uiginn," a personal name of unknown meaning.

What does the Mcguigan map show?

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