NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckernan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Thighearnáin," meaning "son of Tighearnán," a personal name meaning "little lord."

In the 1881 census there were 235 people recorded with the Mckernan surname, ranking it #11,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 841, ranked #6,640, up from #11,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Edinburgh, Manchester and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ15, Mendip and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckernan is 861 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 257.9%.

1881 census count

235

Ranked #11,573

Modern count

841

2016, ranked #6,640

Peak year

2010

861 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckernan had 235 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 841 in 2016, ranked #6,640.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 410 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mckernan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckernan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckernan 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 97 #17,484
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 235 #11,573
1891 historical 297 #11,192
1901 historical 410 #9,322
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 791 #6,593
1998 modern 824 #6,601
1999 modern 847 #6,501
2000 modern 842 #6,510
2001 modern 816 #6,543
2002 modern 831 #6,575
2003 modern 786 #6,744
2004 modern 801 #6,664
2005 modern 802 #6,605
2006 modern 805 #6,593
2007 modern 816 #6,583
2008 modern 814 #6,647
2009 modern 841 #6,615
2010 modern 861 #6,625
2011 modern 848 #6,627
2012 modern 832 #6,642
2013 modern 850 #6,632
2014 modern 853 #6,640
2015 modern 844 #6,655
2016 modern 841 #6,640

Geography

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Where Mckernans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Edinburgh, Manchester, Greenock, Glasgow and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ15, Mendip, Cheshire East, Tameside and Nitshill. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ15 West Dunbartonshire
2 Mendip 009 Mendip
3 Cheshire East 013 Cheshire East
4 Tameside 008 Tameside
5 Nitshill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckernan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckernan

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

Mckernan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mckernan

The surname McKernan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Mac Thighearnain, which means "son of Tighearnain." The name Tighearnain is a diminutive form of the word "tighearna," meaning "lord" or "master." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a person of noble or influential status in ancient Irish society.

The earliest recorded instances of the McKernan surname can be traced back to the 16th century in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The name was particularly prevalent in the area around Omagh, where the McKernans were a prominent clan. In historical records, the name appears with various spellings, such as McKernan, McKernon, and McKernin.

One of the earliest known references to the McKernan name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan friars in the 17th century. The Annals mention a notable figure named Aodh McKernan, who lived in the late 16th century and was a leading member of the McKernan clan in Tyrone.

In the 17th century, the McKernans were among the many Irish families who were dispossessed of their lands during the Plantation of Ulster, a significant event in Irish history that saw the settlement of English and Scottish Protestants in the northern provinces of Ireland. Despite this upheaval, the McKernan name persisted and spread to other parts of Ireland and beyond.

Notable individuals with the McKernan surname include:

1. James McKernan (1865-1928), an Irish-American politician who served as the 46th Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1924 to 1928. 2. John McKernan (born 1948), an American businessman and politician who served as the 71st Governor of Maine from 1987 to 1995. 3. Michael McKernan (1924-2005), an Irish-American Catholic priest and civil rights activist who played a prominent role in the American civil rights movement of the 1960s. 4. Fergal McKernan (born 1967), an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-forward for the Offaly senior hurling team and won several All-Ireland medals in the 1980s and 1990s. 5. William McKernan (1849-1911), an Irish immigrant to the United States who co-founded the McKernan-Hanrahan Fire Brick Company, a successful manufacturing business in Pennsylvania.

While the McKernan surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread worldwide, with bearers of the name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, often as a result of Irish emigration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckernan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckernan 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 6 Mckernans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.71x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 6 3.71x
Yorkshire 4 2.96x
Northumberland 3 14.78x
Middlesex 1 0.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walton On Hill in Lancashire leads with 5 Mckernans recorded in 1881 and an index of 568.18x.

Place Total Index
Walton On Hill 5 568.18x
Newington 4 1081.08x
Westgate 3 238.10x
Kensington London 1 13.18x
Liverpool 1 10.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Anne 2
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Hesten 1
Isab. 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Auther 1
Peter 1
Philip 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 Mckernan households.

FAQ

Mckernan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckernan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 235 people were recorded with the Mckernan surname. That placed it at #11,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckernan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 841 in 2016. That gives Mckernan a modern rank of #6,640.

What does the Mckernan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Thighearnáin," meaning "son of Tighearnán," a personal name meaning "little lord."

What does the Mckernan map show?

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