NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckeown

A variant of McEwan, an Irish and Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of Eoghann" (born of the yew tree).

In the 1881 census there were 852 people recorded with the Mckeown surname, ranking it #4,437 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,478, ranked #1,041, up from #4,437 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Gateshead and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton, Knowsley and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckeown is 6,667 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 660.3%.

1881 census count

852

Ranked #4,437

Modern count

6,478

2016, ranked #1,041

Peak year

2010

6,667 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckeown had 852 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,437 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,478 in 2016, ranked #1,041.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,842 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mckeown surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckeown surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckeown 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 112 #15,913
1861 historical 216 #11,273
1881 historical 852 #4,437
1891 historical 1,176 #3,640
1901 historical 1,842 #2,854
1911 historical 1,251 #3,797
1997 modern 5,848 #1,119
1998 modern 6,081 #1,117
1999 modern 6,176 #1,112
2000 modern 6,166 #1,105
2001 modern 6,056 #1,096
2002 modern 6,302 #1,080
2003 modern 6,168 #1,084
2004 modern 6,204 #1,075
2005 modern 6,158 #1,067
2006 modern 6,190 #1,060
2007 modern 6,240 #1,058
2008 modern 6,341 #1,047
2009 modern 6,516 #1,040
2010 modern 6,667 #1,035
2011 modern 6,556 #1,038
2012 modern 6,335 #1,057
2013 modern 6,460 #1,052
2014 modern 6,530 #1,054
2015 modern 6,499 #1,042
2016 modern 6,478 #1,041

Geography

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Where Mckeowns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Gateshead, Liverpool, Glasgow and Old Monkland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Shawfield and Clincarthill and Bannockburn. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Old Monkland Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 006 Halton
2 Knowsley 015 Knowsley
3 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
4 Shawfield and Clincarthill South Lanarkshire
5 Bannockburn Stirling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckeown

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckeown

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

Mckeown is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mckeown

The surname McKeown is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic Mac Eogain, meaning "son of Eoghan". Eoghan was a personal name derived from the old Irish word "eughn", meaning "well-born". The prefix "Mac" is a Gaelic term meaning "son of".

This surname is particularly associated with County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, where it was first recorded in the 13th century. The name is believed to have originated from the Cenél nEógain, a branch of the Northern Uí Néill dynasty that ruled parts of Ulster.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, where it mentions a "MacEogain" in the year 1258. The surname is also mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century.

In the 16th century, the McKeowns were among the most powerful clans in County Tyrone, and their influence extended to parts of Donegal and Derry. The McKeown clan was led by chieftains who held significant lands and played a role in the political and military affairs of the region.

One notable figure from this period was Sir Brian McKeown, a renowned soldier who fought alongside the famous Irish leader Hugh O'Neill during the Nine Years' War against English forces in the late 16th century. Sir Brian McKeown was killed in battle in 1597.

Another prominent McKeown was Francis McKeown, a Catholic priest who lived in the 17th century. He played a significant role in preserving Irish language and culture during the turbulent period of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

In the 18th century, the McKeowns were among the many Irish families who suffered from the Penal Laws, which imposed severe restrictions on Catholics in Ireland. Despite these challenges, the name persisted, and several McKeowns achieved distinction in various fields.

One such individual was Bernard McKeown, a notable mathematician and astronomer born in County Tyrone in 1737. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy.

In the 19th century, James McKeown, born in 1800, was a prominent Irish nationalist and journalist who advocated for the repeal of the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckeown families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckeown 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 70 Mckeowns recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.03x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 70 4.03x
Cheshire 28 8.67x
Middlesex 14 0.96x
Dorset 12 12.50x
Yorkshire 9 0.62x
Surrey 7 0.98x
Durham 3 0.69x
Hampshire 2 0.67x
Channel Islands 1 2.31x
Cumberland 1 0.79x
Denbighshire 1 1.81x
Northumberland 1 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 30 Mckeowns recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.45x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 30 28.45x
Birkenhead 15 58.28x
Bromborough 9 1343.28x
Bow London 8 42.94x
Portland 8 155.04x
Toxteth Park 8 13.61x
Kirkdale 7 23.97x
Southwark St Saviour 7 93.09x
Burrill Cum Cowling 6 12000.00x
Islington London 6 4.23x
Manchester 6 7.69x
Newton In Ashton Under 4 125.39x
Salford 4 7.83x
West Derby 4 7.88x
Weymouth 4 219.78x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 15.92x
Barrow In Furness 2 8.47x
Everton 2 3.61x
Ince In Makerfield 2 24.75x
Leeds 2 2.44x
Southampton All Sts 2 38.84x
Walton On Hill 2 21.28x
Acton 1 588.24x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 3.39x
Nottingham St Mary 1 1.96x
Preston 1 2.15x
Seaton 1 68.03x
St Helier 1 7.09x
Wallsend 1 14.49x
Withington 1 17.89x
Worsley 1 9.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Bridget 4
Catherine 4
Agnes 3
Annie 3
Jane 3
Lucy 3
Margaret 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Gertrude 2
Lavinia 2
Maria 2
Abigal 1
Ada 1
Alice 1
Anastasia 1
Cathrine 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Laura 1
Lousia 1
Mabel 1
Margt. 1
Maude 1
Rosa 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
Thomas 10
James 7
Patrick 5
William 4
Edward 3
Joseph 3
Michael 3
Peter 3
Hugh 2
Alexr. 1
Alfred 1
Denis 1
Edwin 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
Joal 1
Lawrance 1
Matthew 1
Steph 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Mckeown surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckeown surname in 1881?

In 1881, 852 people were recorded with the Mckeown surname. That placed it at #4,437 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckeown surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,478 in 2016. That gives Mckeown a modern rank of #1,041.

What does the Mckeown surname mean?

A variant of McEwan, an Irish and Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of Eoghann" (born of the yew tree).

What does the Mckeown map show?

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