UK surname

Mcnevin

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of little Niall", derived from the Gaelic Mac Nèidhin.

In the 1881 census there were 101 people recorded with the Mcnevin surname, ranking it #19,636 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 130, ranked #26,152, down from #19,636 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Kilmore and Kilbride and Killarow and Kilmeny. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rutland, Knowsley and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcnevin is 136 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.7%.

1881 census count

101

Ranked #19,636

Modern count

130

2016, ranked #26,152

Peak year

2013

136 bearers

Map years

1881 to 2016

Key insights

• Mcnevin had 101 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,636 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016, ranked #26,152.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 107 in 1891.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Map

Mcnevin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcnevin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Mcnevin 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	49	#24,448
1861	historical	52	#27,369
1881	historical	101	#19,636
1891	historical	107	#22,967
1901	historical	80	#25,251
1911	historical	63	#26,537
1997	modern	119	#24,302
1998	modern	115	#25,466
1999	modern	121	#24,855
2000	modern	125	#24,351
2001	modern	124	#24,114
2002	modern	126	#24,393
2003	modern	120	#24,909
2004	modern	122	#24,812
2005	modern	124	#24,529
2006	modern	123	#24,873
2007	modern	122	#25,353
2008	modern	121	#25,785
2009	modern	122	#26,220
2010	modern	118	#27,404
2011	modern	112	#28,117
2012	modern	126	#26,148
2013	modern	136	#25,252
2014	modern	135	#25,581
2015	modern	136	#25,352
2016	modern	130	#26,152

Geography

Where Mcnevins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Kilmore and Kilbride, Killarow and Kilmeny, Preston and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rutland, Knowsley, Liverpool, South Ribble and Warrington. 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	Toxteth Park	Lancashire
2	Kilmore and Kilbride	Argyll
3	Killarow and Kilmeny	Argyll
4	Preston	Lancashire
5	Dalton-in-Furness	Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Rutland 005	Rutland
2	Knowsley 006	Knowsley
3	Liverpool 023	Liverpool
4	South Ribble 017	South Ribble
5	Warrington 018	Warrington

Forenames

First names often paired with Mcnevin

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

Historical female names

Mary Ann Margaret Elizabeth Catherine Isabella Jane Jessie Hannah Sarah

Historical male names

John James Thomas William George Joseph Alexander Archibald David Duncan

Recent female names

Amy Joanne Maria Gemma Emma Tina Diane Denise Bridget Frances

Recent male names

Philip David Anthony Martin Thomas Paul Gary Stuart Robert Malcolm

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Mcnevin

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Mcnevin is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcnevin is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcnevin 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.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcnevin 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.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - Irish

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

Origin

Meaning and origin of Mcnevin

The surname McNevin is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Naoimhin," meaning "little saint" or "holy one." This name was often anglicized as "Nevin" or "Neville" in various parts of Ireland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, where it was closely associated with the parish of Rasharkin. Several McNevin families were landowners and prominent figures in this area during the 17th and 18th centuries.

One notable historical reference to the McNevin surname is found in the Ulster Plantation records of the early 17th century. These documents mention several individuals with variations of the name, such as McNevin, McNevyn, and McNevan, who were granted lands in County Antrim as part of the plantation scheme.

In the 18th century, the name appeared in various parish records and land deeds across Ulster, often spelled as "McNevin" or "McNeven." A few examples include Robert McNevin, born in 1715 in Rasharkin, and James McNevin, a landowner in County Armagh born in 1745.

One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the McNevin surname was Reverend William McNevin (1763-1841), a Presbyterian minister from County Antrim. He was a prominent figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and was later exiled to the United States, where he continued his ministerial work.

Another well-known figure was Thomas McNevin (1828-1898), a Irish-American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and was a prominent advocate for Irish nationalism and the abolition of slavery.

In the 19th century, the McNevin surname also gained prominence in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands and Islands regions. One notable individual was Alexander McNevin (1835-1914), a Scottish-born Canadian farmer and politician from Ontario, who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament.

Other historical figures with the McNevin surname include James McNevin (1860-1942), an Irish-born Australian journalist and author, and William McNevin (1870-1945), a Scottish-born Canadian educator and school administrator in Manitoba.

While the McNevin surname may have evolved from various spellings and regional variations, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic personal name "Naoimhin," reflecting the rich cultural heritage and history of Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Mcnevin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcnevin 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 3 Mcnevins recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.65x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Lancashire	3	0.00%	8.65x

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 2 Mcnevins recorded in 1881 and an index of 94.79x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Liverpool	2	0.00%	94.79x
Poulton Barre	1	0.03%	2500.00x

Top female names

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

Name	Count
Margaret	1

Top male names

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

Name	Count
Thomas	1
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 Mcnevin households.

Occupation	Count
Annuitant	1
Lab Gen	1
Sailor	1

FAQ

Mcnevin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcnevin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 101 people were recorded with the Mcnevin surname. That placed it at #19,636 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcnevin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 130 in 2016. That gives Mcnevin a modern rank of #26,152.

What does the Mcnevin surname mean?