NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckean

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of John" in Gaelic.

In the 1881 census there were 1,256 people recorded with the Mckean surname, ranking it #3,237 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,916, ranked #3,323, down from #3,237 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Bonhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Orbiston, Lochore and Crosshill and Viewpark.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckean is 1,916 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.5%.

1881 census count

1,256

Ranked #3,237

Modern count

1,916

2016, ranked #3,323

Peak year

2016

1,916 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckean had 1,256 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,237 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,916 in 2016, ranked #3,323.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,486 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mckean surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckean surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckean 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 931 #2,969
1861 historical 1,016 #2,757
1881 historical 1,256 #3,237
1891 historical 1,356 #3,206
1901 historical 1,486 #3,441
1911 historical 387 #9,511
1997 modern 1,706 #3,494
1998 modern 1,771 #3,498
1999 modern 1,768 #3,533
2000 modern 1,789 #3,477
2001 modern 1,759 #3,462
2002 modern 1,793 #3,469
2003 modern 1,739 #3,506
2004 modern 1,742 #3,495
2005 modern 1,739 #3,467
2006 modern 1,733 #3,493
2007 modern 1,768 #3,460
2008 modern 1,808 #3,423
2009 modern 1,823 #3,466
2010 modern 1,867 #3,469
2011 modern 1,857 #3,439
2012 modern 1,855 #3,397
2013 modern 1,875 #3,410
2014 modern 1,915 #3,374
2015 modern 1,911 #3,347
2016 modern 1,916 #3,323

Geography

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Where Mckeans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Bonhill, Glasgow and Kilmarnock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Orbiston, Lochore and Crosshill, Viewpark, County Durham and Burnbank North. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Bonhill Dunbarton
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Kilmarnock Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Orbiston North Lanarkshire
2 Lochore and Crosshill Fife
3 Viewpark North Lanarkshire
4 County Durham 014 County Durham
5 Burnbank North South Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckean

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckean

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mckean is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mckean is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mckean 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 Mckean is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mckean

The surname MCKEAN is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic 'MacIain' meaning 'son of Iain', which is the Scottish form of the name John. This surname is believed to have emerged in the 13th century, primarily in the Scottish Highlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage to Edward I of England. The roll lists a 'Gillecrist MacIan' from the county of Argyll, which is likely an early variant spelling of the surname MCKEAN.

By the 16th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as McKean, McKean, and McKane. In the 1500s, the McKean clan was known to have settled in the region of Argyllshire, on the western coast of Scotland.

An individual of note bearing this surname was Thomas McKean (1734-1817), an American lawyer, politician, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He served as the second President of Congress under the Articles of Confederation and later as the ninth Governor of Pennsylvania.

Another notable figure was James B. McKean (1821-1879), an American jurist who served as a United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. He was born in Hoosick, New York, and played a significant role in several legal cases during the Reconstruction era.

In the literary world, Joseph McKean (1776-1865) was an American educator and author from Pennsylvania. He published several books, including "The Teacher's Assistant" and "The Young Scholar's Guide to Practical Grammar."

The surname MCKEAN is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as McKean's Cross, a hamlet in Argyll and Bute, and McKean's Hill, a mountain in the Scottish Highlands.

Thomas McKean Bayne (1836-1894) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and the Senate of Canada in the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the surname MCKEAN has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, lawyers, authors, and businessmen, with roots tracing back to the Scottish Highlands and the Gaelic 'MacIain'.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckean families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckean 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 36 Mckeans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.38x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 36 3.38x
Middlesex 12 1.34x
Warwickshire 11 4.86x
Essex 7 3.95x
Lincolnshire 5 3.48x
Northumberland 5 3.74x
Surrey 5 1.14x
Berkshire 4 5.94x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 30.79x
Yorkshire 2 0.22x
Sussex 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newchurch in Lancashire leads with 9 Mckeans recorded in 1881 and an index of 103.33x.

Place Total Index
Newchurch 9 103.33x
Sutton Coldfield 9 378.15x
Islington London 8 9.20x
West Derby 7 22.46x
West Ham 7 17.90x
Faldingworth 5 5555.56x
Liverpool 5 7.73x
Wallsend 5 118.20x
Warrington 5 39.62x
Droylsden 4 115.27x
Hampstead London 4 28.61x
Pendleton In Salford 4 31.52x
Reading St Lawrence 4 277.78x
Urr 4 236.69x
Croydon 3 12.36x
Aston 2 3.21x
Huddersfield 2 15.43x
Lambeth 2 2.56x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 11.82x
Hove 1 15.06x
Salford 1 3.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Sarah 4
Agnes 3
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Harriett 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bessie 1
Constance 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Harriette 1
Irving 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Janet 1
Jessie 1
Lilias 1
Lucy 1
Miriam 1
Norah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 9
James 5
William 5
Andrew 2
Burnard 2
Charles 2
Hugh 2
Alexander 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Duncan 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Eric 1
George 1
Henry 1
Kenneth 1
Laurence 1
Michael 1
Percy 1
Robert 1
Ronald 1

FAQ

Mckean surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckean surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,256 people were recorded with the Mckean surname. That placed it at #3,237 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckean surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,916 in 2016. That gives Mckean a modern rank of #3,323.

What does the Mckean surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "son of John" in Gaelic.

What does the Mckean map show?

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