NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcguirk

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic surname Mac Giric meaning "son of Giric".

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Mcguirk surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 764, ranked #7,182, up from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harrington, St Bees and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcguirk is 806 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 326.8%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

764

2016, ranked #7,182

Peak year

2010

806 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcguirk had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 764 in 2016, ranked #7,182.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 264 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcguirk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcguirk surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcguirk 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 48 #24,615
1861 historical 110 #19,562
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 264 #12,693
1911 historical 263 #12,473
1997 modern 749 #6,890
1998 modern 756 #7,055
1999 modern 783 #6,918
2000 modern 790 #6,843
2001 modern 752 #6,973
2002 modern 791 #6,837
2003 modern 763 #6,916
2004 modern 758 #6,968
2005 modern 723 #7,148
2006 modern 721 #7,196
2007 modern 740 #7,134
2008 modern 756 #7,065
2009 modern 793 #6,944
2010 modern 806 #6,984
2011 modern 782 #7,080
2012 modern 751 #7,220
2013 modern 787 #7,058
2014 modern 772 #7,196
2015 modern 768 #7,166
2016 modern 764 #7,182

Geography

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Where Mcguirks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harrington, St Bees, Govan Combination, 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 Allerdale and Sefton. 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 Harrington Cumberland
2 St Bees Cumberland
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 009 Allerdale
2 Allerdale 010 Allerdale
3 Sefton 033 Sefton
4 Sefton 038 Sefton
5 Allerdale 011 Allerdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcguirk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcguirk

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

Mcguirk 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcguirk

The surname McGuirk is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Guibhir, meaning "son of Goibhir" or "son of the leper". The name originated in the early medieval period in Ireland, likely between the 8th and 10th centuries.

The McGuirk surname is most closely associated with County Mayo in the west of Ireland, where the clan was historically based. However, variations of the name, such as McGurk and McGirk, can also be found in other parts of Ireland, particularly in Ulster and Leinster.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a man named Goffraidh Mac Guibhir is mentioned in an entry from the year 1161. This suggests that the name was in use in Ireland by the 12th century.

In the 16th century, during the Plantation of Ulster, many Irish families, including the McGuirks, were displaced from their ancestral lands. This led to the dispersal of the name across different parts of Ireland and beyond.

Notable individuals with the McGuirk surname throughout history include:

1. John McGuirk (c. 1600s), an Irish Catholic landowner from County Mayo who was involved in the Confederate Wars of the 1640s. 2. James McGuirk (1834-1896), an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as the 20th Mayor of Syracuse, New York. 3. Constance McGuirk (1898-1981), an American playwright and screenwriter who wrote for several Broadway productions and Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. 4. Thomas McGuirk (1924-1993), an American Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee from 1979 to 1993. 5. Michael McGuirk (born 1959), an Australian radio presenter and comedian, best known for his work on the Triple M network.

The McGuirk surname has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Ireland, and it has been carried around the world by Irish emigrants over the centuries, contributing to the cultural diversity of many countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcguirk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcguirk 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. Northumberland leads with 9 Mcguirks recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.54x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 9 29.54x
Lancashire 6 2.47x
Cheshire 2 4.42x
Hampshire 2 4.76x
Carmarthenshire 1 11.59x
Dunbartonshire 1 18.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wallsend in Northumberland leads with 8 Mcguirks recorded in 1881 and an index of 824.74x.

Place Total Index
Wallsend 8 824.74x
Everton 5 64.60x
Alverstoke 2 131.58x
Birkenhead 1 27.78x
Liverpool 1 6.78x
Llanelly 1 51.55x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 63.29x
Row 1 140.85x
Tranmere 1 60.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Annie 1
Christina 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Francis 1
Gerald 1
Henry 1
James 1
Patrick 1
Thomas 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 Mcguirk households.

FAQ

Mcguirk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcguirk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Mcguirk surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcguirk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 764 in 2016. That gives Mcguirk a modern rank of #7,182.

What does the Mcguirk surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic surname Mac Giric meaning "son of Giric".

What does the Mcguirk map show?

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