NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckee

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacAoidh," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire").

In the 1881 census there were 1,538 people recorded with the Mckee surname, ranking it #2,732 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,839, ranked #1,399, up from #2,732 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, St Bees and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Kirkwood and Bargeddie and Richmondshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckee is 4,908 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 214.6%.

1881 census count

1,538

Ranked #2,732

Modern count

4,839

2016, ranked #1,399

Peak year

2010

4,908 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckee had 1,538 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,732 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,839 in 2016, ranked #1,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,307 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mckee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckee surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckee 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 671 #3,869
1861 historical 864 #3,207
1881 historical 1,538 #2,732
1891 historical 1,870 #2,466
1901 historical 2,307 #2,360
1911 historical 1,134 #4,107
1997 modern 4,440 #1,482
1998 modern 4,586 #1,481
1999 modern 4,642 #1,478
2000 modern 4,649 #1,466
2001 modern 4,539 #1,471
2002 modern 4,677 #1,458
2003 modern 4,522 #1,467
2004 modern 4,505 #1,472
2005 modern 4,500 #1,456
2006 modern 4,508 #1,452
2007 modern 4,578 #1,444
2008 modern 4,637 #1,426
2009 modern 4,750 #1,437
2010 modern 4,908 #1,417
2011 modern 4,813 #1,429
2012 modern 4,720 #1,425
2013 modern 4,771 #1,437
2014 modern 4,835 #1,425
2015 modern 4,801 #1,419
2016 modern 4,839 #1,399

Geography

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Where Mckees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, St Bees, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Kirkwood and Bargeddie, Richmondshire, Harthill and Salsburgh and Paisley North East. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 St Bees Cumberland
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 005 Copeland
2 Kirkwood and Bargeddie North Lanarkshire
3 Richmondshire 004 Richmondshire
4 Harthill and Salsburgh North Lanarkshire
5 Paisley North East Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckee

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

Mckee 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mckee

The surname McKee has its origins in Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages. It is a Scottish and Irish variation of the Gaelic surname Mac Aidh, meaning "son of Aedh" or "son of fire." The name Aedh was a popular given name in Ireland and Scotland, derived from the Old Irish word "aed," meaning "fire."

The McKee surname is believed to have emerged in various regions of Scotland, including Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and the Scottish Highlands. It was also prevalent in Ulster, Northern Ireland, where many Scottish settlers migrated during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McKee surname can be found in the Black Book of Taymouth, a Scottish manuscript dating back to the late 15th century. This document mentions a "Dougall McKee" as a witness to a charter granted by the Earl of Argyll.

In the 16th century, the McKee surname appeared in several historical records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. These rolls document transactions and payments made to individuals, including those with the McKee surname.

Notable individuals with the McKee surname throughout history include:

1. James McKee (1768-1832), an Irish-American printer and publisher who established the first successful daily newspaper in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Daily Advertiser.

2. Samuel McKee (1773-1856), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Kentucky in the early 19th century.

3. Jane McKee (1826-1901), an American educator and writer who co-founded the McKee Free School in Salt Lake City, Utah.

4. Robert McKee (1811-1900), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and pioneer in the lumber industry, who founded the town of McKee's Corners, now known as Almonte, Ontario.

5. Thomas McKee (1777-1855), an Indian agent and trader in the Ohio Country during the early 19th century, known for his involvement in negotiations with Native American tribes.

The McKee surname has also been associated with various place names, such as McKee's Corners (now Almonte, Ontario), McKee, Kentucky, and McKee, Pennsylvania. These place names reflect the settlement patterns of individuals with the McKee surname in different regions of North America.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckee 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 48 Mckees recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.00x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 48 2.00x
Cumberland 27 15.53x
Yorkshire 26 1.30x
Ayrshire 23 15.22x
Durham 19 3.16x
Surrey 13 1.32x
Essex 7 1.76x
Gloucestershire 7 1.77x
Middlesex 6 0.30x
Derbyshire 5 1.58x
Hampshire 5 1.21x
Cheshire 4 0.90x
Norfolk 4 1.29x
Denbighshire 3 3.93x
Glamorgan 2 0.57x
Kent 2 0.29x
Lanarkshire 2 0.31x
Northumberland 1 0.33x
Royal Navy 1 4.16x
Suffolk 1 0.41x
Worcestershire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Whitehaven in Cumberland leads with 24 Mckees recorded in 1881 and an index of 258.90x.

Place Total Index
Whitehaven 24 258.90x
Liverpool 19 13.06x
Holy Trinity 17 35.32x
Kirkdale 12 29.77x
Battersea 10 13.46x
Girvan 7 184.70x
Gloucester St Aldate 7 1428.57x
Horton In Bradford 7 22.40x
Seaton With Slingley 7 5000.00x
Chelsea London 6 9.86x
Dawdon 6 81.19x
East Tilbury 6 2142.86x
Kilwinning 6 122.95x
Maybole 6 130.43x
Glossop Dale 5 33.78x
Toxteth Park 5 6.16x
South Walsham St Lawrence 4 2500.00x
St Quivox 4 78.28x
Harrington 3 142.86x
Heworth 3 25.34x
Pelton 3 104.90x
Rotherhithe 3 12.02x
Southampton St Mary 3 11.53x
West Derby 3 4.28x
Erith 2 29.46x
Everton 2 2.62x
Formby 2 73.80x
North Meols 2 8.53x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 2 38.99x
Rutherglen 2 20.88x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 2 21.51x
Swansea Town 2 6.94x
Wrexham Regis 2 35.34x
Chester St John Baptist 1 12.48x
Crumpsall 1 17.70x
Dudley 1 3.12x
East Ham 1 13.51x
Hulme 1 2.00x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 14.51x
Liscard 1 12.45x
Llandrillo Yn Rhos 1 88.50x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 6.42x
St Helens 1 33.22x
St Maurice Winchester 1 58.14x
Walton On Hill 1 7.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Margaret 7
Eliza 6
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Alice 5
Ellen 4
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Jane 3
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Eleanor 2
Fanny 2
Jeannetta 2
Jessie 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Angela 1
Bertha 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Cecilia 1
Elizie 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lillie 1
Mabel 1
Maggie 1
Margret 1
Mildred 1
Minnie 1
Rachel 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
James 8
Robert 7
William 7
Samuel 6
George 5
Thomas 5
Hugh 4
David 3
Henry 3
Joseph 3
Alexander 2
Andrew 2
Charles 2
Laurence 2
Peter 2
Alexandra 1
Alfred 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Mathew 1
Nicholas 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Mckee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,538 people were recorded with the Mckee surname. That placed it at #2,732 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,839 in 2016. That gives Mckee a modern rank of #1,399.

What does the Mckee surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacAoidh," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire").

What does the Mckee map show?

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