NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcquaid

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Uaid, meaning "son of Wat" or "son of Walter."

In the 1881 census there were 133 people recorded with the Mcquaid surname, ranking it #16,676 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 643, ranked #8,243, up from #16,676 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Kirkinner and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bristol, Central Easterhouse and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcquaid is 657 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 383.5%.

1881 census count

133

Ranked #16,676

Modern count

643

2016, ranked #8,243

Peak year

2014

657 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcquaid had 133 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,676 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 643 in 2016, ranked #8,243.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcquaid surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcquaid surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcquaid 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 133 #16,676
1891 historical 107 #22,967
1901 historical 93 #23,689
1911 historical 93 #23,492
1997 modern 546 #8,712
1998 modern 545 #8,987
1999 modern 553 #8,945
2000 modern 562 #8,795
2001 modern 571 #8,575
2002 modern 579 #8,649
2003 modern 564 #8,679
2004 modern 561 #8,736
2005 modern 582 #8,450
2006 modern 595 #8,335
2007 modern 608 #8,262
2008 modern 608 #8,320
2009 modern 624 #8,338
2010 modern 643 #8,319
2011 modern 648 #8,171
2012 modern 634 #8,229
2013 modern 656 #8,153
2014 modern 657 #8,185
2015 modern 647 #8,224
2016 modern 643 #8,243

Geography

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Where Mcquaids are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Kirkinner, Edinburgh, Wigan and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bristol, Central Easterhouse and Nottingham. 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 Kirkinner Wigtown
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Wigan Lancashire
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bristol 003 Bristol, City of
2 Central Easterhouse Glasgow City
3 Bristol 044 Bristol, City of
4 Nottingham 009 Nottingham
5 Bristol 001 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcquaid

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcquaid

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mcquaid surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcquaid household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Mcquaid is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcquaid is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcquaid 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 Mcquaid is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcquaid

The surname McQuaid is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Cuade," meaning "descendant of Cuad." The name is thought to have originated in the late 12th century in County Fermanagh, located in the province of Ulster, Northern Ireland.

McQuaid is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Mac Cuaid," with the prefix "Mac" meaning "son of." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions several individuals with the name in the 13th and 14th centuries.

In medieval Ireland, the McQuaid family held lands and wielded influence in County Fermanagh. Historical records show that a branch of the family settled in the Barony of Trough, where they were known as the "McQuaid of Trough."

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Aodh Ó Cuaid, a 14th-century Irish chieftain who ruled over parts of County Fermanagh. He is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster as having participated in various battles and conflicts during his lifetime.

Another prominent figure was Pádraig Mac Cuaid, a 16th-century Irish scholar and historian who authored several works on Irish history and genealogy. He is credited with recording valuable information about the McQuaid family's ancestry and lineage.

In the 17th century, Fergus McQuaid, a member of the Irish Catholic gentry, was granted lands in County Fermanagh by King Charles I. However, he lost these lands during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in the 1650s.

During the 18th century, several McQuaid families emigrated from Ireland to North America, seeking better opportunities and escaping religious persecution. One notable individual from this period was John McQuaid (1732-1807), an Irish-born American patriot who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, Patrick McQuaid (1818-1892) was a prominent Irish Catholic priest who served as the Archbishop of Dublin from 1858 until his death. He was known for his strong advocacy of Catholic education and his opposition to the growing influence of the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland.

While the McQuaid surname is relatively uncommon globally, it remains well-represented in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Fermanagh, Donegal, and Tyrone, where the family's roots can be traced back centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcquaid families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcquaid 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 8 Mcquaids recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.93x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 8 6.93x
Surrey 2 4.22x

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 7 Mcquaids recorded in 1881 and an index of 99.86x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 7 99.86x
Farnham 2 540.54x
Great Little Marsden 1 188.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 2
Bridget 1
Jane 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
Patrick 2
Joseph 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 Mcquaid households.

FAQ

Mcquaid surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcquaid surname in 1881?

In 1881, 133 people were recorded with the Mcquaid surname. That placed it at #16,676 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcquaid surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 643 in 2016. That gives Mcquaid a modern rank of #8,243.

What does the Mcquaid surname mean?

An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Uaid, meaning "son of Wat" or "son of Walter."

What does the Mcquaid map show?

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