NameCensus.

UK surname

Mclennan

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

In the 1881 census there were 4,095 people recorded with the Mclennan surname, ranking it #1,106 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,196, ranked #2,952, down from #1,106 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gairloch, Applecross and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Elgin Cathedral to Ashgrove and Pinefield, Mosstodloch, Portgordon and seaward and Oban South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mclennan is 4,204 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 46.4%.

1881 census count

4,095

Ranked #1,106

Modern count

2,196

2016, ranked #2,952

Peak year

1891

4,204 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mclennan had 4,095 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,106 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,196 in 2016, ranked #2,952.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,204 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mclennan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mclennan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mclennan 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 3,178 #908
1861 historical 3,133 #922
1881 historical 4,095 #1,106
1891 historical 4,204 #1,142
1901 historical 4,061 #1,387
1911 historical 422 #8,936
1997 modern 2,074 #2,963
1998 modern 2,146 #2,985
1999 modern 2,172 #2,973
2000 modern 2,144 #2,989
2001 modern 2,081 #3,008
2002 modern 2,118 #3,021
2003 modern 2,067 #3,033
2004 modern 2,037 #3,069
2005 modern 2,054 #3,004
2006 modern 2,043 #3,027
2007 modern 2,073 #3,018
2008 modern 2,107 #2,993
2009 modern 2,177 #2,977
2010 modern 2,214 #2,993
2011 modern 2,170 #3,010
2012 modern 2,101 #3,044
2013 modern 2,152 #3,028
2014 modern 2,175 #3,013
2015 modern 2,177 #2,984
2016 modern 2,196 #2,952

Geography

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Where Mclennans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gairloch, Applecross, Edinburgh, Lochcarron and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Elgin Cathedral to Ashgrove and Pinefield, Mosstodloch, Portgordon and seaward, Oban South, Dalry and Fountainbridge and Burghead, Roseisle and Laich. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Gairloch Ross And Cromarty
2 Applecross Ross And Cromarty
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Lochcarron Ross And Cromarty
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Elgin Cathedral to Ashgrove and Pinefield Moray
2 Mosstodloch, Portgordon and seaward Moray
3 Oban South Argyll and Bute
4 Dalry and Fountainbridge City of Edinburgh
5 Burghead, Roseisle and Laich Moray

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mclennan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mclennan

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Mclennan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mclennan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mclennan 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

Mclennan 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

Mclennan falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mclennan

The surname McLennan is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Mac Gille Fhinneain, which translates to "son of the servant of St. Finnan." The name is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where a person named Gillemichel McGillefynnyn is mentioned. This is likely an early spelling variation of the surname.

In the 16th century, the McLennans were a prominent clan in the Scottish Highlands, and their ancestral lands were located in the area around Loch Arkaig in Lochaber. The clan was known for their support of the Jacobite cause during the 17th and 18th centuries.

A notable figure from this era was Sir John McLennan, who served as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Jacobite army during the Rising of 1745. He was born around 1700 and fought alongside Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Another historical reference can be found in the Records of the Privy Council of Scotland from the late 16th century, which mention a John McGillefynnane involved in a land dispute. This demonstrates the use of the name and its variations during that time period.

In the 18th century, the surname spread beyond Scotland, with individuals bearing the name appearing in records in Ireland and North America. One example is John McLennan, a Scottish Jacobite who fled to Ireland after the defeat at Culloden and later immigrated to North Carolina in the United States, where he settled in the late 1700s.

Other notable individuals with the surname McLennan include:

1. Hugh McLennan (1784-1820), a Scottish poet and songwriter from Argyll. 2. John Ferguson McLennan (1827-1881), a Scottish jurist and social anthropologist, known for his contributions to the study of kinship systems. 3. John McLennan (1855-1935), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. 4. Evan McLennan (1861-1935), a Scottish-Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. 5. John McLennan (1876-1955), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Vancouver North.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mclennan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mclennan 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 10 Mclennans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.09x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 10 2.09x
Inverness-shire 8 56.06x
Lancashire 7 1.23x
Northumberland 5 7.03x
Essex 3 3.18x
Flintshire 3 23.35x
Ross-shire 3 22.87x
Glamorgan 2 2.40x
Wiltshire 2 4.73x
Caernarfonshire 1 5.17x
Devon 1 1.01x
Hampshire 1 1.02x
Oxfordshire 1 3.39x
Surrey 1 0.43x
Yorkshire 1 0.21x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 10 Mclennans recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.59x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 10 21.59x
South Uist 6 600.00x
Kirkdale 4 41.93x
Hope 3 468.75x
Newcastle On Tyne St 3 81.30x
Cardiff St Mary 2 43.67x
Colchester St Giles 2 215.05x
Elswick 2 35.21x
Fodderty 2 606.06x
Inverness 2 55.71x
Liverpool 2 5.81x
Salisbury St Martin 2 454.55x
Bettws Y Coed 1 769.23x
Bradford 1 8.72x
Great Burstead 1 294.12x
Henley On Thames 1 166.67x
Highweek 1 285.71x
Putney 1 45.87x
Southampton All Sts 1 59.52x
Urray 1 243.90x
West Derby 1 6.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Christian 1
Edith 1
Emily 1
Evangeline 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1
Margeret 1
Sarah 1
T...pe 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Donald 3
William 3
John 2
Kenneth 2
Alfred 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Jno. 1
Peter 1
Robt.B. 1
Roderick 1
Wallace 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 Mclennan households.

FAQ

Mclennan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mclennan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,095 people were recorded with the Mclennan surname. That placed it at #1,106 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mclennan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,196 in 2016. That gives Mclennan a modern rank of #2,952.

What does the Mclennan surname mean?

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

What does the Mclennan map show?

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