NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcleay

In the 1881 census there were 298 people recorded with the Mcleay surname, ranking it #9,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 133, ranked #25,765, down from #9,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barvas and Carloway, Applecross and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Riddrie and Hogganfield, Gwynedd and Aberchirder and Whitehills.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcleay is 389 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 55.4%.

1881 census count

298

Ranked #9,765

Modern count

133

2016, ranked #25,765

Peak year

1891

389 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcleay had 298 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016, ranked #25,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 389 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Mcleay surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcleay surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcleay 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 282 #8,013
1861 historical 345 #7,398
1881 historical 298 #9,765
1891 historical 389 #9,085
1901 historical 358 #10,269
1911 historical 74 #25,423
1997 modern 126 #23,461
1998 modern 131 #23,495
1999 modern 133 #23,487
2000 modern 120 #24,950
2001 modern 117 #24,974
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 130 #23,672
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 134 #23,406
2006 modern 138 #23,156
2007 modern 134 #23,931
2008 modern 128 #24,901
2009 modern 135 #24,594
2010 modern 144 #24,147
2011 modern 144 #23,962
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 141 #24,670
2014 modern 144 #24,504
2015 modern 136 #25,352
2016 modern 133 #25,765

Geography

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Where Mcleays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barvas and Carloway, Applecross, Edinburgh, Urquart and Logie Wester and Creich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Riddrie and Hogganfield, Gwynedd, Aberchirder and Whitehills, Cheshire West and Chester and Banff. 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 Barvas and Carloway Ross And Cromarty
2 Applecross Ross And Cromarty
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Urquart and Logie Wester Ross And Cromarty
5 Creich Sutherland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Riddrie and Hogganfield Glasgow City
2 Gwynedd 001 Gwynedd
3 Aberchirder and Whitehills Aberdeenshire
4 Cheshire West and Chester 039 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Banff Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcleay

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcleay

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Mcleay surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Mcleay household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcleay 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

Mcleay is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcleay 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 Mcleay 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 Mcleay, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Mcleay families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcleay 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. Middlesex leads with 7 Mcleays recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.99x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 7 5.99x
Northumberland 4 23.00x
Leicestershire 1 7.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 7 Mcleays recorded in 1881 and an index of 137.80x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 7 137.80x
Wallsend 4 727.27x
Hinckley 1 322.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Maria 2
Cathrine 1
Elizabeth 1
Hannah 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Farquhar 2
George 2
Edward 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 Mcleay households.

FAQ

Mcleay surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcleay surname in 1881?

In 1881, 298 people were recorded with the Mcleay surname. That placed it at #9,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcleay surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016. That gives Mcleay a modern rank of #25,765.

What does the Mcleay map show?

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