NameCensus.

UK surname

Mclure

Scottish surname meaning "son of the tonsured or shaven servant".

In the 1881 census there were 401 people recorded with the Mclure surname, ranking it #7,959 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 279, ranked #15,534, down from #7,959 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Glenelg and Strath. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, North Kelvin and Paisley West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mclure is 500 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 30.4%.

1881 census count

401

Ranked #7,959

Modern count

279

2016, ranked #15,534

Peak year

1891

500 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mclure had 401 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,959 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016, ranked #15,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 500 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mclure surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mclure surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mclure 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 376 #6,343
1861 historical 399 #6,428
1881 historical 401 #7,959
1891 historical 500 #7,430
1901 historical 466 #8,485
1911 historical 51 #27,708
1997 modern 292 #13,765
1998 modern 276 #14,679
1999 modern 279 #14,670
2000 modern 272 #14,868
2001 modern 265 #14,915
2002 modern 282 #14,585
2003 modern 275 #14,652
2004 modern 256 #15,453
2005 modern 264 #15,085
2006 modern 267 #15,042
2007 modern 267 #15,225
2008 modern 271 #15,182
2009 modern 267 #15,661
2010 modern 269 #15,935
2011 modern 268 #15,843
2012 modern 258 #16,165
2013 modern 256 #16,506
2014 modern 262 #16,380
2015 modern 273 #15,789
2016 modern 279 #15,534

Geography

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Where Mclures are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Glenelg, Strath, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, North Kelvin, Paisley West, Cherwell and Kirkcaldy Templehall East. 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 Glenelg Inverness
3 Strath Inverness
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 030 Leeds
2 North Kelvin Glasgow City
3 Paisley West Renfrewshire
4 Cherwell 016 Cherwell
5 Kirkcaldy Templehall East Fife

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mclure

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mclure

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mclure, 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 Mclure surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mclure household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mclure is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

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Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mclure is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mclure

The surname MCLURE is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "lùir" or "lughair" meaning "follower" or "devotee." It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands during the 12th or 13th century.

The name MCLURE was first recorded in the traditional Clan territories of Strathnaver and Sutherland in the far north of Scotland. Early variations of the spelling included McLourie, McLure, McLowry, and McLuyr. It is possible that the name was initially applied to followers or devotees of a local saint or religious figure.

One of the earliest known references to the name MCLURE can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1329, where a "William McLure" is mentioned. A few centuries later, in 1610, a "Donald McLuyr" is recorded in the Parish Register of Golspie, Sutherland.

Notable individuals with the surname MCLURE throughout history include William McLure (1795-1865), a Scottish-born civil engineer who oversaw the construction of several major railroads in the United States. Another was Robert McLure (1835-1900), an American politician who served as the 15th Governor of Missouri.

In the literary world, there was Michael McLure (1932-2020), an American poet and playwright known for his contributions to the Beat Generation and his experimental theatrical works. The name also appears in military history with General Samuel McLure (1823-1906), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

One of the earliest known places associated with the name MCLURE is the village of Lairg in Sutherland, where the McLures were once a prominent Clan. The name may also be connected to the nearby Loch Luir, which could have influenced the original spelling of the surname.

While not as numerous as some other Scottish surnames, the MCLURE name has endured for centuries and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including engineers, politicians, writers, and military leaders.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mclure families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mclure 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. Gloucestershire leads with 8 Mclures recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.92x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 8 27.92x
Lancashire 4 2.31x
Ayrshire 2 18.30x
Dunbartonshire 1 25.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St James St Paul in Gloucestershire leads with 8 Mclures recorded in 1881 and an index of 833.33x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St James St Paul 8 833.33x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 72.73x
Hulme 2 55.25x
Loudoun 2 769.23x
Dumbarton 1 181.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Amelia 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Janet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Hugh 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 Mclure households.

FAQ

Mclure surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mclure surname in 1881?

In 1881, 401 people were recorded with the Mclure surname. That placed it at #7,959 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mclure surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 279 in 2016. That gives Mclure a modern rank of #15,534.

What does the Mclure surname mean?

Scottish surname meaning "son of the tonsured or shaven servant".

What does the Mclure map show?

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