NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmeekin

A Scottish surname derived from a personal name meaning "son of the servant".

In the 1881 census there were 214 people recorded with the Mcmeekin surname, ranking it #12,284 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 625, ranked #8,440, up from #12,284 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Ayr Newton and St Quivox and Bothwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington and Islington.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmeekin is 659 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 192.1%.

1881 census count

214

Ranked #12,284

Modern count

625

2016, ranked #8,440

Peak year

2010

659 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmeekin had 214 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,284 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 625 in 2016, ranked #8,440.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 296 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcmeekin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcmeekin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmeekin 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 61 #26,170
1881 historical 214 #12,284
1891 historical 287 #11,473
1901 historical 296 #11,749
1911 historical 62 #26,622
1997 modern 573 #8,415
1998 modern 606 #8,329
1999 modern 612 #8,336
2000 modern 630 #8,134
2001 modern 618 #8,104
2002 modern 649 #7,959
2003 modern 614 #8,178
2004 modern 609 #8,257
2005 modern 596 #8,313
2006 modern 611 #8,170
2007 modern 615 #8,203
2008 modern 623 #8,175
2009 modern 636 #8,208
2010 modern 659 #8,152
2011 modern 637 #8,290
2012 modern 628 #8,297
2013 modern 620 #8,515
2014 modern 636 #8,402
2015 modern 635 #8,350
2016 modern 625 #8,440

Geography

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Where Mcmeekins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Ayr Newton and St Quivox, Bothwell, Govan Combination and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington, Islington, Gorbals and Hutchesontown and Petersburn. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Ayr Newton and St Quivox Ayr
3 Bothwell Lanark
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 008 Copeland
2 Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington Renfrewshire
3 Islington 005 Islington
4 Gorbals and Hutchesontown Glasgow City
5 Petersburn North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmeekin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmeekin

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mcmeekin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcmeekin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcmeekin 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

Mcmeekin 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

Mcmeekin falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcmeekin 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 - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcmeekin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcmeekin

The surname McMeekin is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Mhaoithin" or "Mac Mhaithin," which means "son of the small or slender one." The name is thought to have originated in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire.

In the 16th century, the name was recorded in various spellings, such as "McMekin," "McMeikin," and "McMecken." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to 1584, when a John McMekin was listed in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland.

The McMeekin name is also found in the Clan MacMillan, a Highland clan with roots in Lochaber, Argyll, and the Hebrides. The Clan MacMillan was known for its loyalty to the Scottish Crown and participated in several significant battles, including the Battle of Inverlochy in 1645.

Notable individuals bearing the McMeekin surname include:

1. James McMeekin (1806-1874), a Scottish-born Australian pastoralist and politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Council. 2. Robert McMeekin (1846-1929), a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman who served as the Premier of Tasmania from 1899 to 1903. 3. William McMeekin (1814-1893), a Scottish-born Australian artist and goldminer, known for his paintings depicting life on the Australian goldfields. 4. Alexander McMeekin (1832-1913), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, from 1890 to 1892. 5. John McMeekin (1890-1963), a Scottish professional footballer who played as a forward for several clubs, including Celtic and Partick Thistle.

While the McMeekin name has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and emigration. The name has been found in various historical records, including parish registers, census records, and military rolls, reflecting the diverse lives and experiences of those who bore this surname throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcmeekin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmeekin 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. Warwickshire leads with 1 Mcmeekins recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.15x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 1 41.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 1 Mcmeekins recorded in 1881 and an index of 123.46x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 1 123.46x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 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 Mcmeekin households.

Occupation Count
Laundress 1

FAQ

Mcmeekin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmeekin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 214 people were recorded with the Mcmeekin surname. That placed it at #12,284 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmeekin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 625 in 2016. That gives Mcmeekin a modern rank of #8,440.

What does the Mcmeekin surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a personal name meaning "son of the servant".

What does the Mcmeekin map show?

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