NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmartin

An Irish surname meaning son of Martin, derived from Mac Mártain.

In the 1881 census there were 248 people recorded with the Mcmartin surname, ranking it #11,140 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 216, ranked #18,613, down from #11,140 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Alloa, Killin and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ11, Laurieston and Westquarter and Glasgow Harbour and Partick South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmartin is 291 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.9%.

1881 census count

248

Ranked #11,140

Modern count

216

2016, ranked #18,613

Peak year

1901

291 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmartin had 248 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,140 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 216 in 2016, ranked #18,613.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 291 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Mcmartin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcmartin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmartin 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 222 #9,597
1861 historical 223 #10,942
1881 historical 248 #11,140
1891 historical 269 #12,060
1901 historical 291 #11,893
1911 historical 34 #29,600
1997 modern 187 #18,398
1998 modern 197 #18,283
1999 modern 199 #18,293
2000 modern 195 #18,494
2001 modern 188 #18,652
2002 modern 200 #18,294
2003 modern 190 #18,683
2004 modern 188 #18,919
2005 modern 189 #18,807
2006 modern 199 #18,357
2007 modern 208 #18,013
2008 modern 214 #17,854
2009 modern 208 #18,551
2010 modern 207 #19,007
2011 modern 209 #18,730
2012 modern 208 #18,720
2013 modern 210 #18,932
2014 modern 216 #18,705
2015 modern 215 #18,659
2016 modern 216 #18,613

Geography

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Where Mcmartins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Alloa, Killin, Edinburgh, Fortingall and Kilmadock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ11, Laurieston and Westquarter, Glasgow Harbour and Partick South, Kirriemuir and Grangemouth - Town Centre. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Alloa Clackmannan
2 Killin Perth
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Fortingall Perth
5 Kilmadock Perth

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ11 West Dunbartonshire
2 Laurieston and Westquarter Falkirk
3 Glasgow Harbour and Partick South Glasgow City
4 Kirriemuir Angus
5 Grangemouth - Town Centre Falkirk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmartin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmartin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcmartin, 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 Mcmartin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Mcmartin 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Mcmartin is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mcmartin 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

Mcmartin falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Mcmartin

The surname McMARTIN is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic Mac Mhartainn, meaning "son of Martin." The name originated in the Scottish Highlands and can be traced back to the 12th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the name McMARTIN appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. One such individual was Gillecrist McMARTIN, who hailed from the region of Argyll.

During the 14th century, the McMARTIN clan was prominent in the Highlands, particularly in the areas of Lochaber and Badenoch. The name is closely associated with the town of Moy, located in the parish of Laggan, Inverness-shire, where the McMARTINs were once landowners.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the McMARTIN surname was Sir Duncan McMARTIN (c. 1530-1593), a Scottish soldier and courtier who served under Mary, Queen of Scots. He was appointed Captain of the Guard and played a crucial role in the Chaseabout Raid of 1565.

Another prominent individual was Alexander McMARTIN (1668-1748), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Ulster, Ireland. He is credited with founding the town of Portadown and played a significant role in the Irish linen trade.

The McMARTIN surname has also been recorded in various forms, such as McMartin, MacMartin, and MacMartine, reflecting the diverse spellings and dialects of Scottish Gaelic.

Other notable individuals with the McMARTIN surname include: 1. John McMARTIN (1805-1868), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician in Ontario. 2. Sir Walter McMARTIN (1866-1931), a Scottish lawyer and Liberal politician who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland. 3. Barbara McMARTIN (1901-1984), an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theatre and vaudeville. 4. James McMARTIN (1928-2008), a Scottish-born American philosopher and academic who specialized in the philosophy of religion. 5. Gordon McMARTIN (born 1941), a Canadian novelist, playwright, and journalist from Saskatchewan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcmartin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmartin 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. Midlothian leads with 2 Mcmartins recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.39x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 2 38.39x
Yorkshire 2 5.19x

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 2 Mcmartins recorded in 1881 and an index of 215.05x.

Place Total Index
Bradford 2 215.05x
Edinburgh Greenside S 2 10000.00x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Benjamin 1
James 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 Mcmartin households.

Occupation Count
Salt Hawker 2

FAQ

Mcmartin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmartin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 248 people were recorded with the Mcmartin surname. That placed it at #11,140 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmartin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 216 in 2016. That gives Mcmartin a modern rank of #18,613.

What does the Mcmartin surname mean?

An Irish surname meaning son of Martin, derived from Mac Mártain.

What does the Mcmartin map show?

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