NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcilveen

A surname originating from the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Ghille Bhàin" meaning "son of the fair-haired servant/devotee".

In the 1881 census there were 75 people recorded with the Mcilveen surname, ranking it #22,893 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 296, ranked #14,882, up from #22,893 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, Rutherglen and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Drumry East, North Somerset and The Vale of Glamorgan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcilveen is 308 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 294.7%.

1881 census count

75

Ranked #22,893

Modern count

296

2016, ranked #14,882

Peak year

2002

308 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcilveen had 75 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,893 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 296 in 2016, ranked #14,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 113 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcilveen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcilveen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mcilveen 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 61 #26,170
1881 historical 75 #22,893
1891 historical 97 #24,447
1901 historical 113 #21,296
1911 historical 37 #29,263
1997 modern 267 #14,623
1998 modern 292 #14,120
1999 modern 299 #14,000
2000 modern 298 #13,981
2001 modern 297 #13,816
2002 modern 308 #13,763
2003 modern 299 #13,850
2004 modern 304 #13,783
2005 modern 288 #14,189
2006 modern 287 #14,295
2007 modern 281 #14,660
2008 modern 290 #14,466
2009 modern 299 #14,445
2010 modern 284 #15,312
2011 modern 289 #14,974
2012 modern 281 #15,198
2013 modern 290 #15,107
2014 modern 300 #14,839
2015 modern 302 #14,687
2016 modern 296 #14,882

Geography

Back to top

Where Mcilveens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, Rutherglen, Govan Combination, Kings Norton and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Drumry East, North Somerset, The Vale of Glamorgan, Liverpool and Warrington. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 Rutherglen Lanark
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Kings Norton Worcestershire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Drumry East Glasgow City
2 North Somerset 021 North Somerset
3 The Vale of Glamorgan 002 Vale of Glamorgan
4 Liverpool 021 Liverpool
5 Warrington 019 Warrington

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mcilveen

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mcilveen

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

Mcilveen 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcilveen

The surname McIlveen is of Scottish origin, with roots tracing back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "Mac" meaning "son of" and "Ilbhinn" or "Iolbhuinn," which translates to "of the island of the living."

This name was primarily found in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides Islands. It is thought to have been derived from the place name "Eilean Bhan" or "Eilean Ban," referring to a specific island or location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the "Ragman Rolls" of 1296, where a certain "John McYlvyne" is mentioned as swearing fealty to King Edward I of England. This historical document provides insight into the evolution of the spelling and variations of the name during that period.

In the 17th century, the McIlveen family is believed to have been prominent landowners and farmers in the Isle of Islay, one of the Inner Hebrides Islands. Records from this time period mention several McIlveens, including Archibald McIlveen, who was born around 1650 and held significant landholdings in the area.

Another notable figure was Sir John McIlveen, a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during the 18th century. He was born in 1720 and gained recognition for his bravery and leadership during the Seven Years' War.

During the 19th century, the McIlveen surname began to spread beyond Scotland as many families emigrated to other parts of the British Empire and the United States. One such individual was Robert McIlveen, born in 1812, who settled in Ontario, Canada, and became a prominent farmer and community leader.

Another significant figure was William McIlveen, born in 1832, who was a Scottish-American entrepreneur and industrialist. He founded the McIlveen Lumber Company in Mississippi, which played a crucial role in the region's timber industry.

As the centuries passed, the spelling of the surname evolved, with variations such as McIlvaine, McIlvain, and McIlveen emerging. However, the Scottish heritage and island origins of this name have remained a consistent thread throughout its history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mcilveen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcilveen 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 1 Mcilveens recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1 8.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Accrington in Lancashire leads with 1 Mcilveens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1000.00x.

Place Total Index
Accrington 1 1000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 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 Mcilveen households.

Occupation Count
Gen Serv (Domestic) 1

FAQ

Mcilveen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcilveen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 75 people were recorded with the Mcilveen surname. That placed it at #22,893 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcilveen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 296 in 2016. That gives Mcilveen a modern rank of #14,882.

What does the Mcilveen surname mean?

A surname originating from the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Ghille Bhàin" meaning "son of the fair-haired servant/devotee".

What does the Mcilveen map show?

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