NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmain

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Maine" meaning "son of the chieftain".

In the 1881 census there were 62 people recorded with the Mcmain surname, ranking it #24,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 126, ranked #26,686, down from #24,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Gateshead and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Darlington, Stoke-on-Trent and Derby.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmain is 128 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.2%.

1881 census count

62

Ranked #24,843

Modern count

126

2016, ranked #26,686

Peak year

2002

128 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmain had 62 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016, ranked #26,686.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Mcmain surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcmain surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmain 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 48 #24,615
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 62 #24,843
1891 historical 87 #25,802
1901 historical 126 #19,970
1911 historical 119 #20,535
1997 modern 105 #26,188
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 121 #24,855
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 122 #24,366
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 120 #24,909
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 119 #25,193
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 117 #26,066
2008 modern 116 #26,510
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 124 #26,582
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 119 #27,100
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 125 #26,896
2015 modern 127 #26,494
2016 modern 126 #26,686

Geography

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Where Mcmains are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Gateshead, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Glasgow and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Darlington, Stoke-on-Trent and Derby. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Darlington 009 Darlington
2 Darlington 013 Darlington
3 Darlington 012 Darlington
4 Stoke-on-Trent 006 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Derby 002 Derby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmain

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmain

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Mcmain surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcmain 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Mcmain is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcmain is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcmain falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mcmain

The surname MCMAIN is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "mhaighne" meaning "monk" or "servant of the church". This suggests that the name may have been borne by someone who was the son of a monk or someone employed by the church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Parish Records of Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland, where a John McMane is listed in 1595. Another early reference is in the Commissariat Record of Edinburgh in 1605, where a James McMane is mentioned.

The name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including McMane, McMayne, and McMayn, before settling on the modern form of MCMAIN. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping practices of the time.

In the late 17th century, the MCMAIN name appears to have been concentrated in the Ayrshire region of Scotland. Records from this period mention a John McMain who was a merchant in the town of Kilwinning in 1685.

Notable individuals bearing the MCMAIN surname include:

1. Alexander MCMAIN (1786-1856), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who immigrated to Canada in the early 19th century and became a prominent figure in the business and political circles of Upper Canada.

2. Robert MCMAIN (1837-1910), a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist and politician who played a significant role in the development of the wool industry in Victoria and served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.

3. Eleanor MCMAIN (1914-2008), an American novelist and playwright who achieved critical acclaim for her works exploring the experiences of women and families in the mid-20th century.

4. William MCMAIN (1920-1997), a British soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valor in the British and Commonwealth armed forces, for his actions during World War II.

5. James MCMAIN (1946-2022), a Scottish-born Canadian author and journalist who wrote extensively on topics related to Scottish history and culture, as well as the experiences of Scottish immigrants in Canada.

While the MCMAIN surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history deeply rooted in Scotland, with branches extending to various parts of the world through emigration and the diaspora.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcmain families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmain 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. Lancashire leads with 1 Mcmains recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.37x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1 4.37x
Northamptonshire 1 55.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 1 Mcmains recorded in 1881 and an index of 136.99x.

Place Total Index
Everton 1 136.99x
Wellingborough 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
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 Mcmain households.

Occupation Count
General Labourer 1
Unemployed 1

FAQ

Mcmain surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmain surname in 1881?

In 1881, 62 people were recorded with the Mcmain surname. That placed it at #24,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmain surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 126 in 2016. That gives Mcmain a modern rank of #26,686.

What does the Mcmain surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Maine" meaning "son of the chieftain".

What does the Mcmain map show?

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