NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcshea

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son' and 'siadha' meaning 'venomous' or 'fierce'.

In the 1881 census there were 48 people recorded with the Mcshea surname, ranking it #26,869 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #26,869 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmunnock South, Rossendale and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcshea is 130 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 156.3%.

1881 census count

48

Ranked #26,869

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

1999

130 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcshea had 48 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,869 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 62 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcshea surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcshea surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcshea 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 15 #31,942
1881 historical 48 #26,869
1891 historical 35 #31,540
1901 historical 62 #27,252
1911 historical 57 #27,099
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 130 #23,805
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 124 #24,616
2003 modern 129 #23,783
2004 modern 125 #24,443
2005 modern 115 #25,702
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 124 #25,371
2009 modern 119 #26,637
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 125 #26,220
2012 modern 116 #27,550
2013 modern 120 #27,406
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Mcsheas 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 Carmunnock South, Rossendale, New Forest, South Thornliebank and Woodfarm and IZ03. 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 Carmunnock South Glasgow City
2 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
3 New Forest 001 New Forest
4 South Thornliebank and Woodfarm East Renfrewshire
5 IZ03 West Dunbartonshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcshea

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcshea

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcshea, 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 Mcshea surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcshea 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mcshea is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcshea 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

Mcshea 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 Mcshea 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Mcshea

The surname McShea has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the northern counties of Ulster. It is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Shiadháil," which means "son of the wolf hunter." This suggests that the first bearers of this name were descendants of someone who made a living hunting wolves, a common occupation in medieval Ireland.

The McShea name is believed to have first emerged in the 12th or 13th century in the counties of Antrim and Derry. Early records show variations in the spelling, including MacSheehy, MacShea, and McShee, reflecting the fluid nature of Irish surnames during that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McShea name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a Niall McShea, a chieftain of the O'Cahan clan, who was involved in a battle against the O'Neills in 1489.

In the 16th century, the McShea surname was prominent in the Barony of Coleraine, County Derry. A notable figure from this period was Rory McShea, who was granted lands in the parish of Desertoghill by the English Crown in 1584.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, many McShea families were displaced from their ancestral lands and dispersed throughout Ireland and beyond. One notable figure from this era was Owney McShea, who was involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

As the McShea clan spread, the name gained recognition in other parts of Ireland. In the 18th century, a prominent McShea family resided in County Westmeath, with Bartholomew McShea serving as the High Sheriff of Westmeath in 1746.

Another notable figure was Patrick McShea, a Catholic priest from County Tyrone, who was known for his opposition to the Penal Laws against Catholics in the late 18th century.

In the 19th century, the McShea name gained recognition beyond Ireland. John McShea (1796-1869) was an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the shipping industry in New York City.

Overall, the surname McShea has a rich history rooted in the northern counties of Ireland, with a meaning that reflects the occupation of its earliest bearers as wolf hunters. Throughout the centuries, the McShea name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including chieftains, landowners, clergymen, and successful entrepreneurs.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcshea families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcshea 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. Hampshire leads with 1 Mcsheas recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.51x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 1 50.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 1 Mcsheas recorded in 1881 and an index of 256.41x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 1 256.41x

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 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 Mcshea households.

Occupation Count
Cloth Hawker 1

FAQ

Mcshea surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcshea surname in 1881?

In 1881, 48 people were recorded with the Mcshea surname. That placed it at #26,869 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcshea surname today?

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

What does the Mcshea surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son' and 'siadha' meaning 'venomous' or 'fierce'.

What does the Mcshea map show?

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