NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcveigh

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the servant" or "son of the vassal."

In the 1881 census there were 282 people recorded with the Mcveigh surname, ranking it #10,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,894, ranked #3,358, up from #10,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include High Peak, Copeland and Bournemouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcveigh is 1,933 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 571.6%.

1881 census count

282

Ranked #10,148

Modern count

1,894

2016, ranked #3,358

Peak year

2014

1,933 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcveigh had 282 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,894 in 2016, ranked #3,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 523 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcveigh surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcveigh surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcveigh 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 128 #17,375
1881 historical 282 #10,148
1891 historical 367 #9,486
1901 historical 523 #7,790
1911 historical 464 #8,307
1997 modern 1,751 #3,412
1998 modern 1,817 #3,423
1999 modern 1,880 #3,353
2000 modern 1,858 #3,365
2001 modern 1,820 #3,362
2002 modern 1,870 #3,350
2003 modern 1,834 #3,345
2004 modern 1,795 #3,405
2005 modern 1,760 #3,440
2006 modern 1,794 #3,382
2007 modern 1,808 #3,388
2008 modern 1,830 #3,386
2009 modern 1,845 #3,439
2010 modern 1,931 #3,373
2011 modern 1,908 #3,362
2012 modern 1,852 #3,405
2013 modern 1,894 #3,392
2014 modern 1,933 #3,350
2015 modern 1,903 #3,359
2016 modern 1,894 #3,358

Geography

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Where Mcveighs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Govan Combination, Toxteth Park, Gateshead and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to High Peak, Copeland, Bournemouth, North East Lincolnshire and North East Derbyshire. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 High Peak 013 High Peak
2 Copeland 006 Copeland
3 Bournemouth 024 Bournemouth
4 North East Lincolnshire 016 North East Lincolnshire
5 North East Derbyshire 001 North East Derbyshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcveigh

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcveigh

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

Mcveigh is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mcveigh

The surname McVeigh is of Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son of' and 'Bheatha' meaning 'life' or 'living'. It is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands and parts of Northern Ireland around the 12th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the name McVeigh dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient manuscript that chronicles events in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th century. In these annals, the name is spelled 'Mac Bheatha'.

During the 16th century, the McVeigh family was prominent in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, particularly around the town of Ballymoney. The name is also associated with the Scottish clan MacVey, which was based in the regions of Argyll and Bute.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname McVeigh was Sir John McVeigh, a Scottish knight who fought in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 under King Robert the Bruce. Another notable figure was Rory McVeigh, a 16th-century Irish chieftain who led a rebellion against English rule in Ulster.

In the 17th century, the name McVeigh is found in various records related to the Plantation of Ulster, a planned process of colonizing Ulster with English and Scottish Protestant settlers. This suggests that some McVeigh families were among those who migrated from Scotland to Ireland during this period.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several McVeighs gained prominence in various fields. James McVeigh (1750-1835) was an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons. William McVeigh (1790-1867) was a Scottish-born American military officer who served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War.

Other notable individuals with the surname McVeigh include John McVeigh (1840-1914), an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as the 28th Mayor of Philadelphia, and James McVeigh (1856-1926), an Irish-American journalist and author who wrote extensively about Irish history and culture.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcveigh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcveigh 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 6 Mcveighs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.46x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 6 3.46x
Flintshire 4 101.78x
Surrey 2 2.81x
Caernarfonshire 1 16.92x
Glamorgan 1 3.93x
Worcestershire 1 5.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hulme in Lancashire leads with 4 Mcveighs recorded in 1881 and an index of 110.50x.

Place Total Index
Hulme 4 110.50x
Holywell 3 612.24x
Bangor 1 175.44x
Clapham 1 54.64x
Everton 1 18.12x
Great Lever 1 555.56x
Lambeth 1 7.85x
Rhuddlan 1 285.71x
Worcester St Martin 1 384.62x
Ystradyfodwg 1 44.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Rose 2
Alice 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 1
Dougherty 1
George 1
James 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Patrick 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 Mcveigh households.

FAQ

Mcveigh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcveigh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 282 people were recorded with the Mcveigh surname. That placed it at #10,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcveigh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,894 in 2016. That gives Mcveigh a modern rank of #3,358.

What does the Mcveigh surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the servant" or "son of the vassal."

What does the Mcveigh map show?

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