NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckeag

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Thamhais" meaning "son of Thomas".

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Mckeag surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 170, ranked #21,801, up from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cross Stobbs, County Durham and Hackney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckeag is 172 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 178.7%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

170

2016, ranked #21,801

Peak year

2011

172 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckeag had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016, ranked #21,801.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 63 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Mckeag surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckeag surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckeag 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 22 #29,378
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 47 #30,566
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 143 #21,761
1998 modern 142 #22,406
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 147 #22,081
2001 modern 140 #22,441
2002 modern 149 #22,001
2003 modern 154 #21,308
2004 modern 150 #21,830
2005 modern 145 #22,253
2006 modern 142 #22,724
2007 modern 147 #22,510
2008 modern 145 #22,929
2009 modern 153 #22,611
2010 modern 156 #22,886
2011 modern 172 #21,248
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 158 #22,817
2014 modern 163 #22,547
2015 modern 163 #22,407
2016 modern 170 #21,801

Geography

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Where Mckeags are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cross Stobbs, County Durham, Hackney, Gateshead and Upper Nithsdale. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cross Stobbs East Renfrewshire
2 County Durham 052 County Durham
3 Hackney 022 Hackney
4 Gateshead 017 Gateshead
5 Upper Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckeag

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckeag

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Mckeag surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mckeag household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mckeag 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

Mckeag 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

Mckeag falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mckeag 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 Mckeag, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mckeag

The surname MCKEAG is believed to have originated in Scotland during the late medieval period. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the Gaelic name MacKeachie or MacKeachaidh, which means "son of the tonsured one" or "son of the bald one." This name likely referred to an ancestor who had a distinctive shaved or bald head, possibly a monk or cleric.

The earliest known records of the MCKEAG surname date back to the 16th century in the Highlands of Scotland. One of the earliest documented instances is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded homage paid to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. A "Gillemor MacKeachaidh" is listed among the names from the area around Inverness.

In the 17th century, the MCKEAG surname appeared in parish records and court documents in the counties of Argyll, Perth, and Inverness-shire. The name was often spelled in various ways, such as McKeggie, McKegg, and McKeag, reflecting the phonetic nature of Gaelic names being written in English.

One notable bearer of the MCKEAG name was John McKeag (1715-1793), a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was present at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 and later settled in Nova Scotia after the war.

Another prominent figure was Dugald McKeag (1835-1918), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman. He emigrated to Australia in the 1850s and became involved in mining and public service, serving as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1887 to 1894.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the MCKEAG surname is found in the 1790 Census, where a family by that name is listed as living in Pennsylvania.

James McKeag (1803-1878) was a Scottish-American architect and builder who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Church of the Puritans and the Old Masonic Temple.

William McKeag (1845-1924) was a Scottish-born Australian architect who designed many prominent buildings in Melbourne, such as the Melbourne Town Hall and the Royal Arcade.

While the MCKEAG surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in the Highlands of Scotland, with bearers of the name leaving their mark in various parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Mckeag surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckeag surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Mckeag surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckeag surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 170 in 2016. That gives Mckeag a modern rank of #21,801.

What does the Mckeag surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Thamhais" meaning "son of Thomas".

What does the Mckeag map show?

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