NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcneish

Derived from the Gaelic personal name Mac Naois, meaning "son of Naos".

In the 1881 census there were 307 people recorded with the Mcneish surname, ranking it #9,568 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 551, ranked #9,266, up from #9,568 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilbride, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maybole, Arran and Carlisle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcneish is 581 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.5%.

1881 census count

307

Ranked #9,568

Modern count

551

2016, ranked #9,266

Peak year

2010

581 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcneish had 307 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,568 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 551 in 2016, ranked #9,266.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 368 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcneish surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcneish surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mcneish 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 136 #13,892
1861 historical 154 #14,963
1881 historical 307 #9,568
1891 historical 277 #11,784
1901 historical 368 #10,057
1911 historical 63 #26,537
1997 modern 496 #9,352
1998 modern 537 #9,091
1999 modern 539 #9,116
2000 modern 535 #9,144
2001 modern 519 #9,204
2002 modern 541 #9,088
2003 modern 534 #9,035
2004 modern 529 #9,134
2005 modern 534 #8,997
2006 modern 536 #8,994
2007 modern 544 #8,972
2008 modern 547 #9,011
2009 modern 552 #9,145
2010 modern 581 #8,991
2011 modern 557 #9,170
2012 modern 540 #9,312
2013 modern 559 #9,212
2014 modern 557 #9,287
2015 modern 556 #9,221
2016 modern 551 #9,266

Geography

Back to top

Where Mcneishs are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Maybole, Arran, Carlisle, New Cumnock and Suffolk Coastal. 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 Kilbride Bute
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kilmory Bute

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maybole South Ayrshire
2 Arran North Ayrshire
3 Carlisle 013 Carlisle
4 New Cumnock East Ayrshire
5 Suffolk Coastal 007 Suffolk Coastal

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mcneish

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mcneish

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mcneish is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcneish 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

Mcneish 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 Mcneish is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcneish

The surname McNeish originates from Scotland, deriving from the Gaelic "Mac Naoimh" which translates to "son of the saint." This suggests the name likely originated from a descendant of a notable clergyman or religious figure. The Gaelic "naomh" means "saint" or "holy person."

McNeish is an Anglicized spelling of the original Gaelic form. Other variations include MacNeish, McNish, and MacNish. The name is most prevalent in the areas of Argyll and the Isles, suggesting roots in the western coastal regions of Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name appears in the 15th century Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a "John McNeische" is listed as a landholder in 1494. This indicates the name was established by the late medieval period.

In the 16th century, the McNeish name is associated with the Isle of Gigha, off the west coast of Argyll. Clan records from this era reference a "Gillecalum McNysche" as an inhabitant of the island.

Moving into the 17th century, the McNeish surname appears in parish records from Argyll and Bute. A notable figure was John McNeish, born around 1620, who served as a minister in the Church of Scotland.

Fast-forwarding to the 18th century, we find Alexander McNeish (1722-1785), a Scottish merchant and landowner based in Greenock. His son, also named Alexander (1760-1839), became a prominent figure in the West Indies trade.

In the 19th century, James McNeish (1835-1925) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and merchant who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.

Another noteworthy individual was Rev. John McNeish (1845-1926), a Church of Scotland minister who served parishes in Ayrshire and became Moderator of the General Assembly in 1919.

While the surname's origins lie in the western Highlands and Isles of Scotland, McNeish families eventually spread across the country and beyond, with many descendants found in England, North America, Australia, and other parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mcneish families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcneish 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 2 Mcneishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2 8.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Toxteth Park in Lancashire leads with 2 Mcneishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 259.74x.

Place Total Index
Toxteth Park 2 259.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Patrick 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 Mcneish households.

Occupation Count
Lab 1
Labs Wife 1

FAQ

Mcneish surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcneish surname in 1881?

In 1881, 307 people were recorded with the Mcneish surname. That placed it at #9,568 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcneish surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 551 in 2016. That gives Mcneish a modern rank of #9,266.

What does the Mcneish surname mean?

Derived from the Gaelic personal name Mac Naois, meaning "son of Naos".

What does the Mcneish map show?

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