NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcquaide

Derived from the Scottish Gaelic elements "mac" (son) and personal name "Cuide" meaning an honorable or proud person.

In the 1881 census there were 9 people recorded with the Mcquaide surname, ranking it #32,416 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, up from #32,416 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Neath Port Talbot, Wiltshire and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcquaide is 127 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1266.7%.

1881 census count

9

Ranked #32,416

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

2011

127 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcquaide had 9 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,416 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 52 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcquaide surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcquaide surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcquaide 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 9 #31,675
1861 historical 25 #30,804
1881 historical 9 #32,416
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 22 #31,562
1911 historical 22 #31,030
1997 modern 96 #27,490
1998 modern 97 #28,054
1999 modern 104 #27,164
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 112 #26,165
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 104 #27,338
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 110 #27,087
2008 modern 112 #27,061
2009 modern 120 #26,496
2010 modern 118 #27,404
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 124 #26,842
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 120 #27,561
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Mcquaides are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Neath Port Talbot, Wiltshire, Birmingham and Canterbury. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Neath Port Talbot 018 Neath Port Talbot
2 Wiltshire 051 Wiltshire
3 Neath Port Talbot 019 Neath Port Talbot
4 Birmingham 117 Birmingham
5 Canterbury 014 Canterbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcquaide

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcquaide

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mcquaide is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcquaide is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcquaide falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcquaide is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcquaide

The surname McQuaide is of Scottish origin, originating in the medieval period around the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Cuaidh, meaning "son of the wise one" or "son of the beloved one." The prefix "Mac" signifies "son of," while "Cuaidh" is a personal name or byname.

The name is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll, Ayrshire, and the Western Isles. Early records show variations in spelling, such as MacQuaid, MacQuaide, and McQuayd, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal inconsistencies of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. The entry "Willelmus Makequyt de Carrik" is believed to refer to a member of the McQuaide family from the region of Carrick, Ayrshire.

During the 16th century, the name is found in the Black Book of Taymouth, a collection of documents relating to the Breadalbane region of Perthshire. In 1536, a "Donald McQuhayde" is mentioned in connection with a land dispute in Glenorchy.

Notable individuals bearing the McQuaide surname include:

1. John McQuaide (c. 1550-1615), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1608.

2. William McQuaide (1768-1843), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Newfoundland, Canada, and played a significant role in the development of the region's fishing industry.

3. Archibald McQuaide (1807-1891), a Scottish-American civil engineer who oversaw the construction of several major railroads and bridges in the United States during the mid-19th century.

4. Mary McQuaide (1885-1967), an Irish-American labor activist and suffragist who campaigned for workers' rights and women's suffrage in New York City in the early 20th century.

5. Patrick McQuaide (1925-2008), a Scottish-born artist and sculptor renowned for his abstract and modernist works, which are featured in various public collections and galleries across Europe and North America.

The McQuaide surname has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as McQuaidebank in Ayrshire and McQuaide's Glen in Argyll, further reinforcing its Scottish roots and historical presence in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcquaide families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcquaide 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. Kent leads with 1 Mcquaides recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.40x.

County Total Index
Kent 1 30.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheriton in Kent leads with 1 Mcquaides recorded in 1881 and an index of 10000.00x.

Place Total Index
Cheriton 1 10000.00x

Top male names

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

Name Count
Michael 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 Mcquaide households.

Occupation Count
Private 1

FAQ

Mcquaide surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcquaide surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9 people were recorded with the Mcquaide surname. That placed it at #32,416 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcquaide surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Mcquaide a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Mcquaide surname mean?

Derived from the Scottish Gaelic elements "mac" (son) and personal name "Cuide" meaning an honorable or proud person.

What does the Mcquaide map show?

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