NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckillop

A Scottish surname meaning "son of the lad with the tonsure".

In the 1881 census there were 1,017 people recorded with the Mckillop surname, ranking it #3,855 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,414, ranked #4,319, down from #3,855 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Kilbride and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, Burnley and Paisley Ferguslie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckillop is 1,414 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.0%.

1881 census count

1,017

Ranked #3,855

Modern count

1,414

2016, ranked #4,319

Peak year

2016

1,414 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckillop had 1,017 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,855 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,414 in 2016, ranked #4,319.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,318 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mckillop surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckillop surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckillop 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 766 #3,486
1861 historical 887 #3,126
1881 historical 1,017 #3,855
1891 historical 1,063 #3,946
1901 historical 1,318 #3,795
1911 historical 152 #17,712
1997 modern 1,259 #4,522
1998 modern 1,309 #4,541
1999 modern 1,329 #4,503
2000 modern 1,316 #4,517
2001 modern 1,303 #4,471
2002 modern 1,326 #4,491
2003 modern 1,328 #4,405
2004 modern 1,291 #4,515
2005 modern 1,288 #4,465
2006 modern 1,293 #4,466
2007 modern 1,305 #4,471
2008 modern 1,337 #4,403
2009 modern 1,345 #4,474
2010 modern 1,343 #4,564
2011 modern 1,354 #4,482
2012 modern 1,346 #4,431
2013 modern 1,362 #4,468
2014 modern 1,386 #4,430
2015 modern 1,384 #4,392
2016 modern 1,414 #4,319

Geography

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Where Mckillops are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Kilbride, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Kilmore and Kilbride. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central, Burnley, Paisley Ferguslie, Largs Central and Cumbrae and Port Glasgow Upper 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 Kilbride Bute
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kilmore and Kilbride Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Port Glasgow Mid, East and Central Inverclyde
2 Burnley 010 Burnley
3 Paisley Ferguslie Renfrewshire
4 Largs Central and Cumbrae North Ayrshire
5 Port Glasgow Upper East Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckillop

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckillop

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mckillop is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mckillop 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

Mckillop 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 Mckillop 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mckillop

The surname MCKILLOP has its origins in Scotland, where it emerged in the 13th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "gille" meaning "servant" or "youth", combined with the personal name "Philib" or "Philip". Thus, MCKILLOP translates to "son of the servant of Philip".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mention a "Gillemor Makyllephi". This spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of the surname over time. The name is also found in the Book of Assumptions from 1592, where it appears as "M'Killop".

The MCKILLOP family was initially concentrated in the regions of Ayrshire and Galloway in southwestern Scotland. Over time, the name spread to other parts of the country, including the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Some historical figures bearing the MCKILLOP surname include:

1. John MCKILLOP (1766-1828), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of the town of Campbeltown, Argyllshire.

2. Neil MCKILLOP (1799-1870), a Scottish-born Canadian farmer and pioneer who settled in Ontario in the early 19th century.

3. Angus MCKILLOP (1846-1930), a Scottish-born Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

4. Annie MCKILLOP (1865-1948), a Scottish-born Australian teacher and philanthropist who founded the MacKillop Family Services organization.

5. Naomi MCKILLOP (born 1980), a Scottish professional golfer who has won several tournaments on the Ladies European Tour.

The MCKILLOP surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Scotland, such as Killochan in Ayrshire, which may have originated from a variant spelling of the name. Additionally, the name has been linked to the Clan Donald, one of the largest Scottish clans, suggesting a connection to the Hebrides Islands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckillop families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckillop 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. Leicestershire leads with 2 Mckillops recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.12x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 2 23.12x
Channel Islands 1 43.29x
Lanarkshire 1 3.96x
Norfolk 1 8.34x
Northumberland 1 8.61x
Surrey 1 2.63x
Warwickshire 1 5.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 2 Mckillops recorded in 1881 and an index of 94.79x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 2 94.79x
Barony 1 15.67x
Birmingham 1 15.24x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 666.67x
Richmond 1 188.68x
South Lynn 1 714.29x
St Helier 1 133.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 1
Elizabeth 1
Mariam 1
Phoebe 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Alexander 1
David 1
John 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 Mckillop households.

FAQ

Mckillop surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckillop surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,017 people were recorded with the Mckillop surname. That placed it at #3,855 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckillop surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,414 in 2016. That gives Mckillop a modern rank of #4,319.

What does the Mckillop surname mean?

A Scottish surname meaning "son of the lad with the tonsure".

What does the Mckillop map show?

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