NameCensus.

UK surname

Mclaurin

Son of Laurence, derived from the Gaelic name Labhrainn, which is of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 126 people recorded with the Mclaurin surname, ranking it #17,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 88, ranked #32,396, down from #17,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Govan Combination and Ardchattan and Muckairn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Woking, Banknock, Haggs and Longcroft and Oadby and Wigston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mclaurin is 159 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 30.2%.

1881 census count

126

Ranked #17,245

Modern count

88

2016, ranked #32,396

Peak year

1861

159 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 1998

Key insights

  • Mclaurin had 126 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 88 in 2016, ranked #32,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 159 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mclaurin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mclaurin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mclaurin 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 145 #13,223
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 126 #17,245
1891 historical 132 #19,976
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 36 #29,370
1997 modern 93 #27,932
1998 modern 104 #26,981
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 100 #27,402
2002 modern 98 #28,243
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 88 #29,758
2005 modern 82 #30,617
2006 modern 82 #30,933
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 89 #30,713
2009 modern 89 #31,235
2010 modern 92 #31,366
2011 modern 94 #31,016
2012 modern 90 #31,790
2013 modern 86 #32,557
2014 modern 92 #32,132
2015 modern 88 #32,421
2016 modern 88 #32,396

Geography

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Where Mclaurins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Govan Combination, Ardchattan and Muckairn, Kilmore and Kilbride and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Woking, Banknock, Haggs and Longcroft, Oadby and Wigston, Shawfield and Clincarthill and Camden. 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 Bothwell Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Ardchattan and Muckairn Argyll
4 Kilmore and Kilbride Argyll
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Woking 009 Woking
2 Banknock, Haggs and Longcroft Falkirk
3 Oadby and Wigston 007 Oadby and Wigston
4 Shawfield and Clincarthill South Lanarkshire
5 Camden 013 Camden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mclaurin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mclaurin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mclaurin, 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 Mclaurin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mclaurin 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mclaurin 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

Mclaurin is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mclaurin falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mclaurin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mclaurin

The surname McLaurin originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is a clan name derived from the Gaelic Mac Labhruinn, meaning "son of the freckled man." The name was particularly common in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where Gillechrist McLourin is listed as a landowner who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. In the 15th century, a branch of the McLaurins settled in the district of Knapdale in Argyllshire.

The name is also associated with the village of Kilbride, which was formerly known as Kilmolarn or Kilmolaurin, likely named after an early clan chief. In the 16th century, a notable figure was John McLaurin, a minister who served as the Dean of Moray and was involved in negotiations between the Scottish and English crowns.

During the 17th century, several McLaurins gained prominence, including Sir John McLaurin (1615-1684), a Scottish lawyer and judge, and John McLaurin (1693-1754), a Presbyterian minister and author who was born in Kilmichael, Argyll, and later served as a pastor in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In the 18th century, Colin McLaurin (1698-1746), a renowned Scottish mathematician and geometer, made significant contributions to the study of calculus and was elected to the Royal Society in 1719. He is best known for the McLaurin series, a mathematical tool used in calculus.

Other notable individuals with the surname include John McLaurin (1834-1886), a Scottish-American educator and Presbyterian minister who served as the president of the University of South Carolina, and James Mclaurin (1901-1976), an American judge and civil rights leader who played a crucial role in the desegregation of public schools in South Carolina.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mclaurin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mclaurin 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 6 Mclaurins recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.88x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 6 3.88x
Hampshire 5 15.63x
Lancashire 5 2.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 5 Mclaurins recorded in 1881 and an index of 133.69x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 5 133.69x
Farnborough 5 1470.59x
Manchester 5 60.10x
Manningham 1 52.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 2
Mary 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Elizabeth 1
Maria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 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 Mclaurin households.

FAQ

Mclaurin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mclaurin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 126 people were recorded with the Mclaurin surname. That placed it at #17,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mclaurin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 88 in 2016. That gives Mclaurin a modern rank of #32,396.

What does the Mclaurin surname mean?

Son of Laurence, derived from the Gaelic name Labhrainn, which is of uncertain origin.

What does the Mclaurin map show?

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