NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcquade

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Uaid," meaning "son of Uaid" (a personal name).

In the 1881 census there were 908 people recorded with the Mcquade surname, ranking it #4,217 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,535, ranked #2,608, up from #4,217 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, Blantyre and Govan Combination. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ12, Middlesbrough and Braidfauld.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcquade is 2,542 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 179.2%.

1881 census count

908

Ranked #4,217

Modern count

2,535

2016, ranked #2,608

Peak year

2014

2,542 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcquade had 908 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,217 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,535 in 2016, ranked #2,608.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,149 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcquade surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcquade surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcquade 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 305 #7,542
1861 historical 463 #5,613
1881 historical 908 #4,217
1891 historical 925 #4,467
1901 historical 1,149 #4,234
1911 historical 409 #9,140
1997 modern 2,166 #2,858
1998 modern 2,237 #2,877
1999 modern 2,246 #2,886
2000 modern 2,270 #2,843
2001 modern 2,228 #2,838
2002 modern 2,248 #2,871
2003 modern 2,228 #2,828
2004 modern 2,285 #2,766
2005 modern 2,274 #2,748
2006 modern 2,317 #2,708
2007 modern 2,324 #2,726
2008 modern 2,360 #2,714
2009 modern 2,416 #2,718
2010 modern 2,514 #2,685
2011 modern 2,462 #2,710
2012 modern 2,456 #2,666
2013 modern 2,504 #2,658
2014 modern 2,542 #2,640
2015 modern 2,527 #2,632
2016 modern 2,535 #2,608

Geography

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Where Mcquades are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, Blantyre, Govan Combination, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ12, Middlesbrough, Braidfauld, Shettleston North and Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall. 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 Bothwell Lanark
2 Blantyre Lanark
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ12 West Dunbartonshire
2 Middlesbrough 010 Middlesbrough
3 Braidfauld Glasgow City
4 Shettleston North Glasgow City
5 Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall East Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcquade

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcquade

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

Mcquade 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcquade

The surname McQuade has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century or even earlier. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Uaid, which means "son of Uaid" or "son of Wat." Uaid or Wat was an Irish medieval personal name that was quite common in those times.

The name McQuade is most closely associated with County Mayo in the west of Ireland, particularly in the baronies of Carra and Erris. It is believed that the McQuades were part of the Hy Fiachrach clan, which ruled over parts of Connacht in the early medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name McQuade can be found in the Annals of Loch Cé, a medieval Irish chronicle. In an entry dated 1308, it refers to a man named "Dubgall Mac Uaid" (Dudley McQuade) who was involved in a conflict in County Mayo.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, the McQuades were among the many Irish clans who resisted the English forces. In 1586, a man named Donough McQuade was pardoned by the English authorities for his involvement in the Second Desmond Rebellion.

During the 17th century, the McQuades were dispossessed of their lands in County Mayo as a result of the Cromwellian conquest and the subsequent Plantation of Ulster. Many McQuades were forced to migrate to other parts of Ireland or to continental Europe.

One notable McQuade from the 18th century was Donough McQuade (1720-1780), a Catholic priest who served as the Vicar-General of the Diocese of Achonry in County Sligo. He played a significant role in preserving the Catholic faith in the region during the Penal Laws against Catholics.

In the 19th century, a large number of McQuades emigrated from Ireland to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States and Canada, due to the Great Famine and other economic hardships. One prominent McQuade from this era was James McQuade (1835-1909), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the McQuade Brewery in Rochester, New York.

Other notable McQuades include Shamus McQuade (1878-1939), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as the President of the New York City Board of Aldermen, and Michael McQuade (1922-2005), an Irish-born American actor and writer best known for his role in the film The Green Slime.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcquade families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcquade 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 42 Mcquades recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.71x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 42 4.71x
Lanarkshire 13 5.35x
Durham 4 1.79x
Middlesex 4 0.53x
Cumberland 3 4.64x
Surrey 3 0.82x
Denbighshire 2 7.05x
Northumberland 2 1.79x
Yorkshire 2 0.27x
Hampshire 1 0.65x
Kent 1 0.39x

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 20 Mcquades recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.95x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 20 36.95x
Glasgow 9 20.87x
Kirkdale 7 46.70x
Oldham 6 20.86x
Bromley London 4 24.21x
Manchester 4 9.98x
Old Monkland 4 41.49x
Whitworth 4 243.90x
Caldewgate 3 84.75x
Frimley 3 288.46x
Horbury 2 153.85x
Moss Side 2 42.64x
Wallsend 2 56.50x
Wrexham Regis 2 94.79x
Alverstoke 1 17.95x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 14.12x
Dover Castle 1 526.32x
Fulwood 1 104.17x
Toxteth Park 1 3.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ann 4
Elizabeth 3
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Amelia 1
Dorothy 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Jane 1
John 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Michael 4
Thomas 3
Francis 2
Alexandra 1
Andrew 1
Chal. 1
Charles 1
Chas.E. 1
Geo. 1
George 1
Henry 1
James 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Patrick 1
Richard 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 Mcquade households.

FAQ

Mcquade surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcquade surname in 1881?

In 1881, 908 people were recorded with the Mcquade surname. That placed it at #4,217 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcquade surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,535 in 2016. That gives Mcquade a modern rank of #2,608.

What does the Mcquade surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Uaid," meaning "son of Uaid" (a personal name).

What does the Mcquade map show?

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