NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcguiness

An Irish surname derived from Mac Ionnais, meaning "son of Angus".

In the 1881 census there were 1,117 people recorded with the Mcguiness surname, ranking it #3,570 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,068, ranked #5,475, down from #3,570 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Stewarton East and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcguiness is 1,117 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.4%.

1881 census count

1,117

Ranked #3,570

Modern count

1,068

2016, ranked #5,475

Peak year

1881

1,117 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcguiness had 1,117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,570 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,068 in 2016, ranked #5,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,117 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcguiness surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcguiness surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mcguiness 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 211 #9,997
1861 historical 396 #6,476
1881 historical 1,117 #3,570
1891 historical 907 #4,545
1901 historical 1,047 #4,576
1911 historical 594 #6,890
1997 modern 1,003 #5,491
1998 modern 1,024 #5,571
1999 modern 1,036 #5,548
2000 modern 997 #5,700
2001 modern 970 #5,724
2002 modern 1,000 #5,684
2003 modern 937 #5,897
2004 modern 938 #5,900
2005 modern 963 #5,720
2006 modern 993 #5,594
2007 modern 1,015 #5,542
2008 modern 1,009 #5,613
2009 modern 1,044 #5,585
2010 modern 1,090 #5,482
2011 modern 1,095 #5,392
2012 modern 1,093 #5,320
2013 modern 1,102 #5,363
2014 modern 1,094 #5,420
2015 modern 1,076 #5,447
2016 modern 1,068 #5,475

Geography

Back to top

Where Mcguiness' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Stewarton East, Carlisle and Derbyshire Dales. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 001 Wakefield
2 Stewarton East East Ayrshire
3 Carlisle 009 Carlisle
4 Derbyshire Dales 001 Derbyshire Dales
5 Carlisle 002 Carlisle

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mcguiness

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mcguiness

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

Mcguiness 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

Mcguiness 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 Mcguiness is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcguiness

The surname McGuiness has its origins in Ireland and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name "Mac Aonghusa," which means "son of Angus" or "son of the one choice." The name is derived from the Irish personal name Angus or Aonghus, which was a popular name among the ancient Celts.

The McGuiness name was predominantly found in counties Donegal, Derry, and Tyrone in the northern part of Ireland. It is believed that the first recorded instance of the name dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor conquest of Ireland.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a clan chief named Aonghus Mac Aonghusa, who ruled over a territory in County Donegal in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, several individuals bearing the name McGuiness are mentioned in various historical records, including the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663-1665, which were tax records compiled during the reign of King Charles II. One notable entry is that of a man named Donell McGuiness, who was listed as a landowner in County Derry.

In the 18th century, the McGuiness name gained prominence with the birth of James McGuiness (1718-1786), an Irish-born American politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from Pennsylvania. He played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War and was a member of the Stamp Act Congress in 1765.

Another notable figure from this time period was John McGuiness (1743-1823), an Irish-born officer in the British Army who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became a member of the British Parliament.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname McGuiness was John McGuiness (1820-1899), an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia, from 1858 to 1899.

Throughout history, the McGuiness name has been associated with various place names and has undergone several spelling variations, such as McGuinness, McGinnis, and McGinness. Despite the variations, the name's Irish origins and connection to the ancient Celtic personal name Angus remain a defining aspect of its heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mcguiness families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcguiness 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 84 Mcguiness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 84 3.72x
Yorkshire 18 0.95x
Durham 17 3.00x
Northumberland 13 4.59x
Cumberland 10 6.11x
Middlesex 10 0.53x
Cambridgeshire 7 5.81x
Dorset 7 5.61x
Glamorgan 6 1.81x
Kent 6 0.92x
Hampshire 5 1.28x
Surrey 3 0.32x
Caernarfonshire 2 2.60x
Shropshire 2 1.22x
Staffordshire 2 0.31x
Cheshire 1 0.24x
Devon 1 0.25x
Somerset 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 26 Mcguiness' recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.97x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 26 18.97x
Ashton Under Lyne 16 32.43x
Toxteth Park 15 19.63x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 9 53.25x
Portland 7 104.32x
Preston 7 11.59x
St Gilesin Fields 7 630.63x
Heworth 6 53.81x
Sunderland 6 60.06x
Swansea Town 6 22.10x
Alverstoke 5 35.44x
Leeds 5 4.70x
Manningham 5 21.53x
Whitehaven 5 57.27x
Workington 5 53.30x
Hunslet 4 13.61x
Salford 4 6.03x
St Andrewthe Less 4 29.07x
Bootle Cum Linacre 3 16.74x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 3 57.14x
Kirkdale 3 7.90x
Plumstead 3 13.87x
Bethnal Green London 2 2.42x
Bishop Auckland 2 26.35x
Bishopwearmouth 2 4.12x
Crayford 2 70.67x
Ercall Magna 2 169.49x
Everton 2 2.78x
Llandudno 2 72.99x
Newcastle Under Lyme 2 17.61x
Pendlebury 2 41.93x
Seghill 2 143.88x
West Derby 2 3.03x
Bathwick 1 29.50x
Camberwell 1 0.82x
Caterham 1 24.39x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.79x
Clifton 1 769.23x
Clifton In York 1 25.38x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 11.03x
Farnworth 1 7.40x
Gillingham 1 7.47x
Gorton 1 4.71x
Keighley 1 4.98x
Manchester 1 0.99x
Rotherhithe 1 4.26x
Sheffield 1 1.67x
St Andrew Holborn 1 15.50x
Tynemouth 1 6.60x
Wakefield 1 6.91x
Wallsend 1 11.14x
Westoe 1 3.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Elizabeth 9
Margaret 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Rose 4
Agnes 3
Catherine 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Betsy 2
Bridget 2
Eliza 2
Elizth. 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Betty 1
Bridgett 1
Caroline 1
Deborah 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Elizh 1
Emily 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
May 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1
Teresa 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
James 16
William 9
Thomas 6
Arthur 4
Francis 4
George 4
Patrick 4
Edward 3
Bernard 2
Michael 2
Peter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Archy 1
Barnett 1
Charles 1
Dan 1
Felix 1
Freddy 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Jos. 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Owen 1
Rence 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Mcguiness surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcguiness surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,117 people were recorded with the Mcguiness surname. That placed it at #3,570 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcguiness surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,068 in 2016. That gives Mcguiness a modern rank of #5,475.

What does the Mcguiness surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from Mac Ionnais, meaning "son of Angus".

What does the Mcguiness map show?

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