NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckew

Of Scottish origin, a spelling variant of the Gaelic surname MacEoghainn meaning "son of Eoghainn".

In the 1881 census there were 213 people recorded with the Mckew surname, ranking it #12,328 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #12,328 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Manchester and Cliftonville.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckew is 213 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 54.5%.

1881 census count

213

Ranked #12,328

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1881

213 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2006

Key insights

  • Mckew had 213 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,328 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 213 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mckew surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckew surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckew 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 160 #14,468
1881 historical 213 #12,328
1891 historical 191 #15,437
1901 historical 154 #17,775
1911 historical 146 #18,179
1997 modern 121 #24,019
1998 modern 127 #23,940
1999 modern 130 #23,805
2000 modern 133 #23,462
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 112 #26,159
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 110 #27,391
2009 modern 121 #26,373
2010 modern 121 #27,005
2011 modern 112 #28,117
2012 modern 101 #30,078
2013 modern 95 #31,523
2014 modern 96 #31,667
2015 modern 96 #31,624
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Mckews are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Gateshead, Battersea and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Manchester, Cliftonville and Neath Port Talbot. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Battersea London (South Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 005 Copeland
2 Manchester 047 Manchester
3 Cliftonville North Lanarkshire
4 Neath Port Talbot 004 Neath Port Talbot
5 Manchester 018 Manchester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckew

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckew

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

Mckew is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mckew 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 Mckew is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mckew, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mckew

The surname MCKEW originates from Scotland, emerging in the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "cù" meaning "hound" or "dog," suggesting a connection to a person or family who had a significant involvement with hunting or keeping hunting dogs.

Early records indicate that the name was predominantly found in the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides islands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire. The earliest known spelling variations include McKew, MacKew, and MacCuaigh.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MCKEW can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1544, where a certain "Gillecrist McKew" is mentioned as a tenant in the lands of Kilmichael Glassary in Argyllshire.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, with a reference to "Donald McKew in Kilmichael Glassary" in 1618. This suggests a strong historical presence of the MCKEW family in the Kilmichael Glassary area of Argyll.

Notable individuals bearing the MCKEW surname include:

1. John McKew (1587-1654), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Minister of Ardchattan in Argyllshire. 2. Archibald McKew (1695-1766), a Scottish landowner and laird of the McKew estate in Inverness-shire. 3. Angus McKew (1723-1789), a Scottish-born merchant and trader who settled in the British colonies of North America. 4. William McKew (1819-1892), a Scottish-born farmer and community leader in Ontario, Canada. 5. Isobel McKew (1845-1923), a Scottish author and poet known for her works depicting life in the Highlands.

While the name MCKEW is not as common as some other Scottish surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides islands, with various connections to landowners, clergymen, merchants, and literary figures over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckew families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckew 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 29 Mckews recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.27x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 29 6.27x
Leicestershire 4 9.25x
Middlesex 4 1.03x
Derbyshire 1 1.64x
Warwickshire 1 1.02x
Yorkshire 1 0.26x

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 8 Mckews recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.46x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 8 28.46x
West Derby 6 44.31x
Kirkdale 4 51.35x
Leicester All Sts 4 470.59x
Manchester 4 19.22x
St Pancras London 4 12.74x
Ormskirk 3 337.08x
Birmingham 1 3.05x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 27.17x
Bradford 1 10.68x
Chesterfield 1 43.67x
Everton 1 6.78x
Maghull 1 526.32x
Withington 1 67.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Catherine 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Cathrine 1
Charlotte 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
James 3
Edward 2
Michael 2
William 2
Charles 1
E.J. 1
Jos. 1
Luke 1
Martin 1
Patrick 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 Mckew households.

FAQ

Mckew surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckew surname in 1881?

In 1881, 213 people were recorded with the Mckew surname. That placed it at #12,328 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckew surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Mckew a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Mckew surname mean?

Of Scottish origin, a spelling variant of the Gaelic surname MacEoghainn meaning "son of Eoghainn".

What does the Mckew map show?

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