NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcmillan

Son of the bald or tonsured man, derived from the Gaelic "Maolán" meaning "bald" or "tonsured."

In the 1881 census there were 11,540 people recorded with the Mcmillan surname, ranking it #370 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 14,272, ranked #441, down from #370 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilmallie and Ardgour, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Campbeltown, Kintyre Trail and Rothesay Town.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcmillan is 14,272 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.7%.

1881 census count

11,540

Ranked #370

Modern count

14,272

2016, ranked #441

Peak year

2016

14,272 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcmillan had 11,540 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #370 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 14,272 in 2016, ranked #441.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,181 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcmillan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcmillan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcmillan 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 8,372 #325
1861 historical 8,684 #317
1881 historical 11,540 #370
1891 historical 12,342 #361
1901 historical 13,181 #397
1911 historical 2,163 #2,326
1997 modern 12,857 #473
1998 modern 13,202 #479
1999 modern 13,327 #477
2000 modern 13,190 #479
2001 modern 12,934 #477
2002 modern 13,291 #474
2003 modern 12,999 #474
2004 modern 12,943 #476
2005 modern 12,898 #475
2006 modern 13,008 #468
2007 modern 13,278 #462
2008 modern 13,428 #463
2009 modern 13,697 #464
2010 modern 14,057 #463
2011 modern 13,840 #463
2012 modern 13,706 #456
2013 modern 13,947 #459
2014 modern 14,209 #451
2015 modern 14,194 #447
2016 modern 14,272 #441

Geography

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Where Mcmillans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilmallie and Ardgour, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Greenock and Urquhart and Glenmoriston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Campbeltown, Kintyre Trail, Rothesay Town, Bute and Thornhill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kilmallie and Ardgour Inverness
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Urquhart and Glenmoriston Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
2 Kintyre Trail Argyll and Bute
3 Rothesay Town Argyll and Bute
4 Bute Argyll and Bute
5 Thornhill Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcmillan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcmillan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcmillan, 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 Mcmillan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcmillan 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mcmillan 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.

Read profile summary

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

Mcmillan 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcmillan

The surname MCMILLAN is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "millan" which is a personal name meaning "bald". It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 12th century, in the region of Argyll and Bute in western Scotland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various Scottish medieval records, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list several individuals with the name. One of the earliest known bearers was Gillemichel M'Millan, who was recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1328.

The name MCMILLAN is also associated with the ancient Scottish clan of the same name, which had its seat in the district of Cowal in Argyll. The clan claims descent from a 13th-century ancestor named Somhairle, or Samuel, who was nicknamed "Mac Gillemhaoil" or "Son of the Bald Lad".

In the 16th century, the MCMILLAN clan played a significant role in the infamous Lorn Feuds, a series of bitter conflicts between rival clans in the region. One of the most notable figures of this era was Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy, who married Grizel MCMILLAN in 1558, strengthening the alliance between the two clans.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname MCMILLAN have achieved prominence in various fields. One notable example is William MCMILLAN (1828-1896), a Scottish-American industrialist who founded the McMILLAN Company, one of the largest iron and steel manufacturing firms in the United States during the 19th century.

Another notable bearer of the name was John MCMILLAN (1670-1753), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who played a key role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in the American colonies. He founded several churches in Pennsylvania and is considered a pioneer of Presbyterianism in the United States.

In the world of literature, two prominent figures with the surname MCMILLAN are the Scottish novelist Margaret MCMILLAN (1915-1988) and the American writer Terry MCMILLAN (born 1951), best known for her novel "Waiting to Exhale".

The name MCMILLAN has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as the village of Millhouse, near Kirkcudbright, which was historically known as "Milmachdub" or "MCMILLAN's farm".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcmillan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcmillan 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 53 Mcmillans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.46x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 53 1.46x
Middlesex 52 1.70x
Yorkshire 33 1.09x
Ayrshire 28 12.25x
Cumberland 21 7.99x
Durham 16 1.76x
Lanarkshire 16 1.62x
Northumberland 13 2.86x
Surrey 11 0.74x
Hampshire 10 1.60x
Kent 9 0.86x
Lincolnshire 8 1.64x
Glamorgan 7 1.32x
Northamptonshire 6 2.09x
Midlothian 5 1.22x
Gloucestershire 4 0.67x
Sussex 4 0.78x
Flintshire 3 3.66x
Perthshire 3 2.19x
Royal Navy 3 8.25x
Cheshire 2 0.30x
Angus 1 0.35x
Argyllshire 1 1.18x
Essex 1 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.24x
Shropshire 1 0.38x
Warwickshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 17 Mcmillans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.73x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 17 7.73x
Maybole 17 244.25x
Leeds 12 7.02x
St George Hanover 11 27.60x
Islington London 10 3.38x
Kirkdale 9 14.77x
Govan 8 3.28x
Croydon 7 8.48x
Great Grimsby 7 22.60x
Holy Trinity 7 9.62x
St Cuthbert W O 7 54.64x
Toxteth Park 7 5.71x
Workington 7 46.51x
Byker 6 26.71x
Everton 6 5.20x
Newport 6 176.99x
Peterborough 6 28.86x
Stanhope 6 63.97x
Westminster St 6 53.29x
Ayr 5 46.38x
Bishopwearmouth 5 6.41x
Clerkenwell London 5 6.94x
Dover St Mary Virgin 5 49.60x
Sedburgh 5 396.83x
Southcoates 5 29.76x
Whitehaven 5 35.69x
Battersea 4 3.56x
Dundonald 4 47.45x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 4 2.43x
Hackney London 4 2.34x
Lanark 4 50.38x
Roath 4 16.56x
Shoreditch London 4 3.02x
South Hamlet 4 108.11x
St Luke London 4 8.17x
Brighton 3 2.89x
Gateshead 3 4.41x
Hook 3 45.05x
Mile End Old Town 3 6.23x
Mold 3 40.32x
North Shields 3 33.08x
Portsea 3 2.45x
Barrow In Furness 2 4.06x
Kilmadock 2 63.49x
Llandaff 2 11.31x
Manchester 2 1.23x
New Monkland 2 6.85x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 2 7.37x
Newton In Ashton Under 2 30.08x
Paddington London 2 1.78x
Preston 2 2.06x
St Martin In Fields 2 10.94x
Tynemouth 2 8.22x
Walmer 2 44.15x
West Derby 2 1.89x
Aldershot 1 4.77x
Anderston 1 384.62x
Ardnamurchan 1 23.20x
Ardrossan 1 12.64x
Birmingham 1 0.39x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 3.48x
Bulwell 1 11.17x
Cleator 1 9.14x
Cound 1 200.00x
Dalton In Furness 1 7.15x
Darlington 1 2.85x
Edinburgh St Andrews 1 29.59x
Enfield 1 4.99x
Erith 1 9.75x
Hapton 1 44.25x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 2.54x
Kilwinning 1 13.55x
Kirkbampton 1 227.27x
Liff Benvie 1 2.33x
Preston 1 11.12x
Swanscombe 1 21.37x
Tradeston 1 625.00x
Walthamstow 1 4.61x
Withington 1 8.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Elizabeth 14
Isabella 7
Margaret 7
Sarah 6
Annie 5
Jane 5
Agnes 4
Jessie 4
Susan 4
Eleanor 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Florence 3
Janet 3
Maggie 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Emily 2
Fanny 2
Henrietta 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Antoinette 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
Dinah 1
E. 1
Emma 1
Fredrica 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Liby 1
Lousia 1
M.E. 1
Mabel 1
Marian 1
May 1
Mildred 1
Nancy 1
Nora 1
Phoebe 1
Rachael 1
Robina 1
Rose 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 25
William 12
James 10
George 6
Robert 5
Andrew 4
Wm. 4
Alexander 2
Bengamin 2
Charles 2
David 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Henry 2
Jas. 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alexr. 1
Alfred 1
Angus 1
Anthony 1
Archd. 1
Arthur 1
Benjn. 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Donald 1
Duncan 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Elizabeth 1
Emerson 1
Finlay 1
Franics 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1
Mathew 1
Neil 1
Nellie 1
Norman 1
Pat 1
Peter 1
R.H. 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Mcmillan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcmillan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11,540 people were recorded with the Mcmillan surname. That placed it at #370 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcmillan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 14,272 in 2016. That gives Mcmillan a modern rank of #441.

What does the Mcmillan surname mean?

Son of the bald or tonsured man, derived from the Gaelic "Maolán" meaning "bald" or "tonsured."

What does the Mcmillan map show?

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