NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckim

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacShim," meaning "son of Simon."

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Mckim surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 325, ranked #13,930, down from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Cardross and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Paisley North West, Paisley West and Paisley East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckim is 351 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.2%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

325

2016, ranked #13,930

Peak year

1901

351 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckim had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016, ranked #13,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 351 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mckim surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckim surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mckim 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 313 #10,723
1901 historical 351 #10,415
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 317 #13,053
1998 modern 329 #13,070
1999 modern 332 #13,075
2000 modern 315 #13,495
2001 modern 314 #13,318
2002 modern 317 #13,506
2003 modern 310 #13,522
2004 modern 314 #13,473
2005 modern 308 #13,590
2006 modern 316 #13,402
2007 modern 305 #13,891
2008 modern 304 #14,000
2009 modern 311 #14,069
2010 modern 325 #13,946
2011 modern 313 #14,200
2012 modern 313 #14,095
2013 modern 308 #14,482
2014 modern 327 #13,976
2015 modern 325 #13,927
2016 modern 325 #13,930

Geography

Back to top

Where Mckims are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Cardross, Greenock, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Paisley North West, Paisley West, Paisley East, Darlington and Abronhill South. 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 Cardross Dunbarton
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Paisley North West Renfrewshire
2 Paisley West Renfrewshire
3 Paisley East Renfrewshire
4 Darlington 007 Darlington
5 Abronhill South North Lanarkshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mckim

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mckim

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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Mckim is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mckim 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

Mckim falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mckim is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mckim

The surname MCKIM has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is a Scottish patronymic name derived from the Gaelic personal name "Kim," which itself is a variant of the more common "Calum" or "Colm," meaning "dove."

The earliest recorded instances of the name MCKIM can be found in various Scottish charters and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is a mention of "Gillebertus McKym" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1288.

The name MCKIM was particularly prevalent in the regions of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, where many families bearing this surname were landowners and farmers. The name was also found in other parts of Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands.

One of the earliest known bearers of the MCKIM surname was Sir John McKym, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another notable figure was William McKym, a Scottish merchant and burgess of Edinburgh who lived in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name underwent various changes, with variants such as "McKim," "McKym," and "McKyme" appearing in historical records. One prominent individual from this period was Alexander McKym, a Scottish clergyman and author who served as the minister of Dunscore Parish in Dumfriesshire from 1590 to 1622.

As the MCKIM family spread across Scotland and beyond, the name was also found in various place names, such as McKim's Hill in Renfrewshire and McKim's Muir in Ayrshire. These place names likely derived from the presence of MCKIM families in those areas.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several individuals with the MCKIM surname gained prominence in various fields. Robert McKim (1770-1848) was a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Pennsylvania and became a prominent figure in the early American iron industry. James McKim (1744-1832) was a Scottish-born merchant and businessman who played a significant role in the early development of Baltimore, Maryland.

Other notable individuals include Samuel McKim (1776-1838), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Isaac McKim (1775-1838), an American merchant and abolitionist who was actively involved in the Underground Railroad.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mckim families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckim 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. Cheshire leads with 4 Mckims recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.90x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 4 16.90x
Lancashire 3 2.36x
Ayrshire 2 24.94x
Middlesex 1 0.93x
Northumberland 1 6.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tranmere in Cheshire leads with 4 Mckims recorded in 1881 and an index of 459.77x.

Place Total Index
Tranmere 4 459.77x
Everton 3 74.07x
Girvan 2 1000.00x
Hackney London 1 16.64x
Long Witton 1 0.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mckim 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
Frances 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
May 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 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 Mckim households.

FAQ

Mckim surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckim surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Mckim surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckim surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 325 in 2016. That gives Mckim a modern rank of #13,930.

What does the Mckim surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacShim," meaning "son of Simon."

What does the Mckim map show?

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