NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckearney

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cearnaigh, meaning "son of Cearnaigh", a personal name derived from a term for "victorious".

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Mckearney surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East and West Mainland, Dennistoun North and Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckearney is 124 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 132.1%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

2002

124 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckearney had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 53 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mckearney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckearney surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckearney 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 13 #32,208
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 49 #30,349
1901 historical 47 #28,929
1911 historical 33 #29,703
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 124 #24,616
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 118 #25,556
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 117 #26,351
2009 modern 120 #26,496
2010 modern 114 #28,017
2011 modern 116 #27,477
2012 modern 114 #27,868
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 120 #27,646
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Mckearneys 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 East and West Mainland, Dennistoun North, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill, Paisley North East and Peterborough. 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 East and West Mainland Shetland Islands
2 Dennistoun North Glasgow City
3 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
4 Paisley North East Renfrewshire
5 Peterborough 018 Peterborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckearney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckearney

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

Spacious Rural Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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, Mckearney 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

Mckearney 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mckearney

The surname McKearney has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son of' and 'Cearnaigh', an Irish family name derived from the word 'cearna', meaning 'victorious'.

The name is believed to have originated in County Louth, where the McKearney clan was based. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster in 1277, which mentions a 'Gilla-Cearnaigh Mac Cearnaigh'.

In the 16th century, the McKearney family was prominent in County Louth and held lands around the town of Dundalk. They were allied with the powerful O'Neill clan and played a significant role in the Nine Years' War against English rule.

The McKearney surname has also been recorded with various spellings over the centuries, including MacKearney, McKernie, and McKerny. These variations reflect the phonetic nature of Irish naming conventions and the influence of regional dialects.

Notable individuals with the McKearney surname include:

1. Patrick McKearney (1787-1860), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for County Louth. 2. James McKearney (1834-1903), an Irish-born Australian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. 3. John McKearney (1853-1930), an Irish-American author and journalist who wrote extensively about Irish history and culture. 4. Patrick McKearney (1882-1948), an Irish Republican Army officer and revolutionary who participated in the Easter Rising of 1916. 5. Seán McKearney (1921-1992), an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for County Louth and won two All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals.

The McKearney name has a rich historical legacy, spanning centuries and continents, with notable individuals contributing to various fields, including politics, law, literature, and sports.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckearney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckearney 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. Yorkshire leads with 1 Mckearneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.47x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1 10.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wakefield in Yorkshire leads with 1 Mckearneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1428.57x.

Place Total Index
Wakefield 1 1428.57x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mckearney 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 Mckearney households.

Occupation Count
Housemaid 1

FAQ

Mckearney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckearney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Mckearney surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckearney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Mckearney a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Mckearney surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cearnaigh, meaning "son of Cearnaigh", a personal name derived from a term for "victorious".

What does the Mckearney map show?

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