NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcquire

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Guaire" meaning son of the modest or prudent one.

In the 1881 census there were 413 people recorded with the Mcquire surname, ranking it #7,794 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 270, ranked #15,913, down from #7,794 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Beath, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Blackburn with Darwen and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcquire is 575 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.6%.

1881 census count

413

Ranked #7,794

Modern count

270

2016, ranked #15,913

Peak year

1891

575 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcquire had 413 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,794 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 270 in 2016, ranked #15,913.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 575 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mcquire surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcquire surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcquire 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 413 #5,872
1861 historical 439 #5,872
1881 historical 413 #7,794
1891 historical 575 #6,620
1901 historical 506 #7,977
1911 historical 342 #10,445
1997 modern 294 #13,707
1998 modern 314 #13,483
1999 modern 302 #13,895
2000 modern 299 #13,937
2001 modern 296 #13,842
2002 modern 297 #14,081
2003 modern 289 #14,158
2004 modern 295 #14,025
2005 modern 276 #14,579
2006 modern 278 #14,623
2007 modern 279 #14,732
2008 modern 281 #14,782
2009 modern 301 #14,386
2010 modern 303 #14,626
2011 modern 300 #14,591
2012 modern 277 #15,375
2013 modern 290 #15,107
2014 modern 284 #15,455
2015 modern 277 #15,622
2016 modern 270 #15,913

Geography

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Where Mcquires are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Beath, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Blackburn with Darwen, County Durham and Wigan. 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 Beath Fife
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 008 Copeland
2 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen
3 Copeland 003 Copeland
4 County Durham 009 County Durham
5 Wigan 013 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcquire

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcquire

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcquire, 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 Mcquire surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mcquire 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Mcquire is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcquire 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

Mcquire 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 Mcquire 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.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcquire

The surname McQuire has its origins in Scotland, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a variant of the more common Scots surname MacQuarrie, derived from the Gaelic "Mac Guaire" meaning "son of Guaire." Guaire was a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "gair," meaning "near" or "close by."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McQuire name is found in the Scottish Parish Records from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, where a John McQuire was listed in 1599. The spelling variations at the time included McQuyre, McQuair, and McQuaire, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in that era.

In the 17th century, the McQuire name appears in various legal documents and court records across Scotland. Notably, a Robert McQuire was listed as a witness in a land dispute in Lanarkshire in 1623, and a William McQuire was recorded as a merchant in Aberdeen in 1659.

The McQuire surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John McQuire (c. 1670-1742), a Scottish landowner and Member of Parliament for Aberdeenshire from 1708 to 1710. Later, James McQuire (1795-1870) was a renowned Scottish engineer who played a significant role in the development of early steam engines and railway technology.

Other notable McQuires include the writer and poet Margaret McQuire (1836-1916), whose works explored themes of Scottish identity and rural life, and the explorer and naturalist Robert McQuire (1868-1935), who led several expeditions to the Arctic and documented the flora and fauna of the region.

In the late 19th century, the McQuire name also gained prominence in North America, with many Scots immigrants settling in Canada and the United States. One such individual was John McQuire (1852-1924), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who founded the McQuire Foundation, which supported educational initiatives and community development projects.

Throughout its history, the McQuire surname has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish roots, with many families tracing their lineage back to the regions of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Aberdeenshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcquire families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcquire 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. Yorkshire leads with 16 Mcquires recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.18x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 16 3.18x
Lancashire 10 1.66x
Middlesex 9 1.77x
Derbyshire 5 6.30x
Gloucestershire 2 2.01x
Warwickshire 2 1.56x
Cambridgeshire 1 3.11x
Devon 1 0.95x
Huntingdonshire 1 9.93x
Montgomeryshire 1 8.61x
Northamptonshire 1 2.10x
Staffordshire 1 0.58x
Stirlingshire 1 5.34x
Worcestershire 1 1.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Snydale in Yorkshire leads with 7 Mcquires recorded in 1881 and an index of 7000.00x.

Place Total Index
Snydale 7 7000.00x
Chesterfield 5 167.79x
West Derby 5 28.39x
Batley 4 83.68x
Shoreditch London 4 18.20x
Leeds 3 10.57x
Paddington London 3 16.09x
Birmingham 2 4.69x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 21.37x
Liverpool 2 5.47x
Worsley 2 53.91x
Barnsley 1 19.31x
Bromsgrove 1 44.84x
Fen Stanton 1 526.32x
Goole 1 119.05x
Habergham Eaves 1 18.18x
Handsworth 1 23.70x
Hanwell 1 111.11x
Pool 1 113.64x
St Andrewthe Less 1 27.25x
St Pancras London 1 2.45x
Stirling 1 42.37x
Stoke Damerel 1 13.53x
Wellingborough 1 41.67x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Alexander 1
Barney 1
Charles 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Pat 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Samuel 1
Terance 1
Thomas 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 Mcquire households.

FAQ

Mcquire surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcquire surname in 1881?

In 1881, 413 people were recorded with the Mcquire surname. That placed it at #7,794 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcquire surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 270 in 2016. That gives Mcquire a modern rank of #15,913.

What does the Mcquire surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Guaire" meaning son of the modest or prudent one.

What does the Mcquire map show?

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