NameCensus.

UK surname

Mclain

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Eáin," meaning "son of the servant of Saint John."

In the 1881 census there were 112 people recorded with the Mclain surname, ranking it #18,501 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 122, ranked #27,255, down from #18,501 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Whorlton and Whittingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, Westminster and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mclain is 171 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.9%.

1881 census count

112

Ranked #18,501

Modern count

122

2016, ranked #27,255

Peak year

1851

171 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mclain had 112 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,501 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 122 in 2016, ranked #27,255.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 171 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mclain surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mclain surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mclain 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 171 #11,730
1861 historical 158 #14,644
1881 historical 112 #18,501
1891 historical 106 #23,105
1901 historical 104 #22,310
1911 historical 107 #21,842
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 103 #27,305
2000 modern 92 #28,832
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 98 #28,046
2004 modern 93 #29,065
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 103 #27,785
2007 modern 103 #28,187
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 105 #28,815
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 109 #28,653
2012 modern 112 #28,174
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 124 #27,049
2015 modern 121 #27,405
2016 modern 122 #27,255

Geography

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Where Mclains are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Whorlton, Whittingham, Washington and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Westminster, Caerphilly, Stockton-on-Tees and Gateshead. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Whorlton Yorkshire, North Riding
3 Whittingham Northumberland
4 Washington Durham
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 008 Northumberland
2 Westminster 007 Westminster
3 Caerphilly 009 Caerphilly
4 Stockton-on-Tees 021 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Gateshead 023 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mclain

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mclain

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mclain, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Mclain surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mclain household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Mclain is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Mclain is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mclain falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mclain 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 Mclain, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mclain

The surname MCLAIN has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared as a variant of the more common Scottish surname McLean. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "Lìoghain" or "Gillìoghain," which were ancient personal names meaning "descendant of the servant" or "follower of the servant" respectively.

The earliest recorded instances of the MCLAIN name can be traced back to the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides Islands. The name was frequently anglicized to McLean or McClain, with various spellings such as McLaine, McLain, and McLayne appearing in historical records.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the MCLAIN name was Sir Lachlan Mor McLean, a chief of the Clan McLean who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. He was born around 1510 and was known for his support of the Protestant cause and his involvement in the Isles Revolt against the Catholic Church.

Another notable person with the MCLAIN surname was John McLain, a Scottish soldier and explorer who served in the British Army during the late 18th century. He was born in 1755 and was part of the expedition led by Captain James Cook, helping to map the western coast of North America and the Hawaiian Islands.

In the 19th century, a prominent American politician named John MCLAIN hailed from Ohio. Born in 1785, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1823 to 1829 and was known for his support of the Whig Party and his advocacy for infrastructure development.

The name MCLAIN has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McLain's Point in Argyll and McLain's Bay in the Isle of Islay. These locations likely derived their names from early settlers or landowners bearing the MCLAIN surname.

Another notable figure with the MCLAIN surname was William MCLAIN, a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1830 to 1905. He made his fortune in the steel industry and donated significant funds to educational institutions and charities, particularly in his adopted home of Pennsylvania.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mclain families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mclain 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. Yorkshire leads with 10 Mclains recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.31x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 10 4.31x
Northumberland 8 22.98x
Durham 4 5.75x
Lancashire 2 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Holy Trinity in Yorkshire leads with 8 Mclains recorded in 1881 and an index of 143.37x.

Place Total Index
Holy Trinity 8 143.37x
Shilbottle 4 13333.33x
Whickham 4 625.00x
Cowpen 2 250.00x
Great Driffield 2 416.67x
Warrington 2 60.79x
Murton 1 2500.00x
Tynemouth 1 53.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Mary 2
Ann 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Bartholemew 2
James 2
Anthony 1
George 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Thomas 1
William 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 Mclain households.

FAQ

Mclain surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mclain surname in 1881?

In 1881, 112 people were recorded with the Mclain surname. That placed it at #18,501 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mclain surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 122 in 2016. That gives Mclain a modern rank of #27,255.

What does the Mclain surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Eáin," meaning "son of the servant of Saint John."

What does the Mclain map show?

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