NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcphee

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Dhuibhshíthe, meaning "son of the dark fairy."

In the 1881 census there were 1,975 people recorded with the Mcphee surname, ranking it #2,218 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,756, ranked #1,807, up from #2,218 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilmallie and Ardgour, Duirnish and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wick South, Wick North and Thurso West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcphee is 3,756 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.2%.

1881 census count

1,975

Ranked #2,218

Modern count

3,756

2016, ranked #1,807

Peak year

2016

3,756 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcphee had 1,975 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,218 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,756 in 2016, ranked #1,807.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,531 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcphee surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcphee surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcphee 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 1,045 #2,681
1861 historical 1,077 #2,613
1881 historical 1,975 #2,218
1891 historical 2,122 #2,196
1901 historical 2,531 #2,171
1911 historical 221 #14,044
1997 modern 3,196 #2,012
1998 modern 3,310 #2,021
1999 modern 3,350 #2,021
2000 modern 3,397 #1,985
2001 modern 3,265 #2,020
2002 modern 3,360 #2,015
2003 modern 3,205 #2,051
2004 modern 3,239 #2,033
2005 modern 3,247 #2,003
2006 modern 3,377 #1,926
2007 modern 3,369 #1,952
2008 modern 3,471 #1,916
2009 modern 3,589 #1,905
2010 modern 3,696 #1,882
2011 modern 3,600 #1,913
2012 modern 3,558 #1,890
2013 modern 3,584 #1,908
2014 modern 3,678 #1,874
2015 modern 3,698 #1,848
2016 modern 3,756 #1,807

Geography

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Where Mcphees are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilmallie and Ardgour, Duirnish, Govan Combination, Ardnamurchan and South Uist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wick South, Wick North, Thurso West, Caithness North West and Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond. 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 Duirnish Inverness
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Ardnamurchan Argyll
5 South Uist Inverness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wick South Highland
2 Wick North Highland
3 Thurso West Highland
4 Caithness North West Highland
5 Hillyland, Tulloch and Inveralmond Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcphee

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcphee

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

Mcphee 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcphee

The surname McPhee is a Scottish name derived from the Gaelic Mac Phaidh, meaning "son of the tonsured one" or "son of the servant." It originated in the Highlands of Scotland, specifically in the regions of Argyll, Inverness-shire, and Perthshire.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the form "MacPhee" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1292. During this period, the name was also spelled as "MacPhie" and "MacPhai."

In the 16th century, the McPhees were a prominent clan in the Western Isles of Scotland, particularly on the islands of Islay and Colonsay. They were known for their allegiance to the Lords of the Isles and their involvement in various clan conflicts.

One notable McPhee from this era was Donald McPhee, a clan chief who fought alongside the Earl of Argyll during the Scottish Reformation in the late 16th century. Another was Lachlan McPhee, who is mentioned in the Argyll Manuscripts in 1685 as a prominent landowner on the island of Colonsay.

In the 17th century, the McPhee name appeared in the records of the Scottish Parliament, with John McPhee serving as a commissioner for Argyllshire in 1689.

As the Scottish diaspora spread around the world, the McPhee name traveled with them. In the 18th century, James McPhee (1737-1796) was a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia, United States.

During the 19th century, the name gained prominence in literature with James McPhee (1821-1882), a Scottish poet and novelist, and Donald McPhee (1867-1916), a Scottish-born writer who emigrated to Canada and became known for his works depicting life in the Canadian wilderness.

Other notable individuals with the surname McPhee include Duncan McPhee (1925-2018), a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman, and John McPhee (born 1931), an acclaimed American writer and journalist known for his non-fiction works on various subjects, including environmental issues and sports.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcphee families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcphee 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. Inverness-shire leads with 8 Mcphees recorded in 1881 and an index of 144.67x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 8 144.67x
Ayrshire 2 14.43x
Middlesex 2 1.08x
Royal Navy 2 90.50x
Cumberland 1 6.27x
Gloucestershire 1 2.75x
Lancashire 1 0.46x
Northumberland 1 3.63x
Yorkshire 1 0.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barra in Inverness-shire leads with 5 Mcphees recorded in 1881 and an index of 3571.43x.

Place Total Index
Barra 5 3571.43x
South Uist 3 769.23x
Ayr 2 307.69x
Bristol St Nicholas 1 1428.57x
Camerton 1 5000.00x
Hendon 1 149.25x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 666.67x
Kirkdale 1 27.03x
St George Hanover Square 1 30.67x
Wallsend 1 114.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Christina 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2
Murdoch 1
Peter 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 Mcphee households.

FAQ

Mcphee surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcphee surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,975 people were recorded with the Mcphee surname. That placed it at #2,218 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcphee surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,756 in 2016. That gives Mcphee a modern rank of #1,807.

What does the Mcphee surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Dhuibhshíthe, meaning "son of the dark fairy."

What does the Mcphee map show?

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