NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckale

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Céile meaning "son of the servant/tenant".

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Mckale surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 153, ranked #23,408, down from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, Newcastle St Nicholas and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Broxburn Kirkhill and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckale is 177 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.4%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

153

2016, ranked #23,408

Peak year

2010

177 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckale had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016, ranked #23,408.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 124 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mckale surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckale surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckale 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 55 #23,413
1861 historical 70 #24,911
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 117 #20,830
1911 historical 55 #27,313
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 142 #22,406
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 150 #21,781
2001 modern 149 #21,568
2002 modern 155 #21,431
2003 modern 160 #20,789
2004 modern 152 #21,628
2005 modern 160 #20,899
2006 modern 165 #20,634
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 165 #21,056
2009 modern 171 #21,024
2010 modern 177 #21,034
2011 modern 156 #22,690
2012 modern 154 #22,870
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 156 #23,231
2015 modern 158 #22,913
2016 modern 153 #23,408

Geography

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Where Mckales are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, Newcastle St Nicholas, Govan Combination, Pontefract and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle upon Tyne, Broxburn Kirkhill, Gateshead and Little Earnock. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 Newcastle St Nicholas Northumberland
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Pontefract Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle upon Tyne 003 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Newcastle upon Tyne 031 Newcastle upon Tyne
3 Broxburn Kirkhill West Lothian
4 Gateshead 003 Gateshead
5 Little Earnock South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckale

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckale

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mckale, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mckale surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mckale household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Mckale is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mckale is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mckale

The surname MCKALE originated in Scotland during the late medieval period. It is a variant spelling of the Scottish surname McCaill, which is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Cail. Mac Cail means "son of Cail," where Cail is a diminutive of the Gaelic personal name Calum, which is derived from the Latin name Columba, meaning "dove."

The earliest recorded instances of the name MCKALE can be traced back to the 16th century. In 1583, a John McKale was listed in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland. The surname also appears in the records of the Parish of Kilchrenan and Dalavich in Argyllshire, Scotland, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The MCKALE surname is closely associated with the Clan Campbell, one of the most powerful and influential clans in the Scottish Highlands. Several notable individuals with the MCKALE surname were members of the Clan Campbell or had ties to the clan's territories in Argyll and Perthshire.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the MCKALE surname was Duncan McKale, who lived in the late 16th century and was a landowner in the parish of Kilchrenan and Dalavich. Another notable figure was Archibald McKale, born in 1674 in Argyllshire, who served as a lieutenant in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiment during the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, John McKale (1712-1789) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Inveraray, the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll and the Clan Campbell. His son, Duncan McKale (1752-1832), followed in his footsteps and became a successful businessman and landowner in the same region.

One of the most notable individuals with the MCKALE surname was Reverend Alexander McKale (1798-1872), a Scottish minister and author who served as the minister of the parish of Craignish in Argyllshire for over 40 years. He was known for his scholarly works on Scottish history and culture, including a book on the genealogy of the Clan Campbell.

While the MCKALE surname has its roots in Scotland, over time it has spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration to North America and other English-speaking countries. However, the name's origins and historical significance remain firmly rooted in the Scottish Highlands and its association with the Clan Campbell.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckale families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckale 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 7 Mckales recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.16x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 7 30.16x
Yorkshire 7 4.53x
Cheshire 1 2.90x
Durham 1 2.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. North Shields in Northumberland leads with 7 Mckales recorded in 1881 and an index of 1521.74x.

Place Total Index
North Shields 7 1521.74x
Leeds 6 68.73x
Blacon Cum Crabwall 1 10000.00x
Stockton On Tees 1 44.64x
Tanshelf 1 833.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Hanaur 1
Kate 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Nilly 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 1
Henry 1
John 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Peter 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 Mckale households.

FAQ

Mckale surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckale surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Mckale surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckale surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 153 in 2016. That gives Mckale a modern rank of #23,408.

What does the Mckale surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Céile meaning "son of the servant/tenant".

What does the Mckale map show?

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