NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckeever

An Irish occupational surname referring to the son of a keeper of animals, especially horses or cattle.

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Mckeever surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,192, ranked #4,998, up from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Glasgow and Dalton-in-Furness. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, IZ11 and Barrow-in-Furness.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckeever is 1,204 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1239.3%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

1,192

2016, ranked #4,998

Peak year

2014

1,204 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckeever had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,192 in 2016, ranked #4,998.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 242 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mckeever surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckeever surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckeever 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 49 #24,448
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 234 #13,705
1911 historical 242 #13,193
1997 modern 1,071 #5,194
1998 modern 1,108 #5,225
1999 modern 1,142 #5,138
2000 modern 1,108 #5,239
2001 modern 1,088 #5,218
2002 modern 1,116 #5,221
2003 modern 1,098 #5,191
2004 modern 1,122 #5,097
2005 modern 1,120 #5,067
2006 modern 1,100 #5,145
2007 modern 1,124 #5,088
2008 modern 1,162 #4,958
2009 modern 1,163 #5,080
2010 modern 1,194 #5,065
2011 modern 1,198 #4,986
2012 modern 1,133 #5,158
2013 modern 1,192 #5,016
2014 modern 1,204 #5,003
2015 modern 1,188 #5,016
2016 modern 1,192 #4,998

Geography

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Where Mckeevers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Glasgow, Dalton-in-Furness, Bishop Wearmouth and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, IZ11, Barrow-in-Furness, Birmingham and IZ12. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Glasgow Lanark
3 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
4 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 011 Wirral
2 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire
3 Barrow-in-Furness 007 Barrow-in-Furness
4 Birmingham 125 Birmingham
5 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckeever

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckeever

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mckeever, 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 Mckeever surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mckeever 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, Mckeever 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

Mckeever 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mckeever

The surname McKeever originated in Ireland and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Mac Fhithbheartaigh, meaning "son of the prudent one." It is derived from the Irish words "fith" meaning "wise" and "beart" meaning "deed" or "prudent." The name is most closely associated with County Donegal in Ulster, where it was first found in the 14th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is mentioned in an entry dated 1336. The name is also found in various Irish manuscripts and records from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Hearth Money Rolls.

In the late 16th century, the McKeever family held lands in the parish of Clondavaddog, County Donegal. One notable member was Phelim McKeever, who was involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and was later pardoned by the English government.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, many McKeever families were displaced from their ancestral lands and some migrated to other parts of Ireland or to Scotland. This dispersal led to various spellings of the name, including McKeever, McKeaver, and McKever.

A prominent figure in the 17th century was Bernard McKeever (c. 1620-1687), an Irish Franciscan friar and historian who wrote a chronicle of the Irish province of the Franciscan order. Another notable McKeever was Owen McKeever (1699-1780), a Catholic priest and educator who established one of the first Catholic schools in Ireland after the Penal Laws were relaxed.

In the 18th century, the McKeever family produced several notable figures, including Patrick McKeever (1743-1823), a Catholic priest and author, and Andrew McKeever (1760-1845), a United Irishman who was involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

During the 19th century, the McKeever name spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as many Irish people emigrated due to famine and economic hardship. One notable figure from this period was John McKeever (1828-1902), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckeever families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckeever 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 16 Mckeevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.68x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 16 7.68x
Durham 1 1.91x
Hampshire 1 2.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Radcliffe in Lancashire leads with 11 Mckeevers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1100.00x.

Place Total Index
Radcliffe 11 1100.00x
Salford 5 81.57x
Darlington 1 49.51x
Portsmouth 1 120.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Sarah 2
Jane 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Arthur 2
Chas 1
Harry 1
James 1
Matthias 1
William 1
Wm. 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 Mckeever households.

FAQ

Mckeever surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckeever surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Mckeever surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckeever surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,192 in 2016. That gives Mckeever a modern rank of #4,998.

What does the Mckeever surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname referring to the son of a keeper of animals, especially horses or cattle.

What does the Mckeever map show?

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