NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcwaters

A Scottish surname indicating a person from a town or area near water.

In the 1881 census there were 102 people recorded with the Mcwaters surname, ranking it #19,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 92, ranked #32,035, down from #19,518 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Thornton-in-the-Moors, Govan Combination and Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Greenock East, Cheshire West and Chester and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcwaters is 146 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.8%.

1881 census count

102

Ranked #19,518

Modern count

92

2016, ranked #32,035

Peak year

1901

146 bearers

Map years

3

1881 to 1901

Key insights

  • Mcwaters had 102 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,518 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016, ranked #32,035.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 146 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcwaters surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcwaters surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcwaters 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 74 #20,443
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 102 #19,518
1891 historical 144 #18,842
1901 historical 146 #18,335
1911 historical 97 #23,076
1997 modern 86 #28,876
1998 modern 79 #30,080
1999 modern 87 #29,398
2000 modern 89 #29,173
2001 modern 91 #28,670
2002 modern 81 #30,294
2003 modern 79 #30,549
2004 modern 76 #31,125
2005 modern 80 #30,842
2006 modern 85 #30,556
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 102 #29,286
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 109 #28,653
2012 modern 101 #30,078
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 99 #31,186
2015 modern 97 #31,499
2016 modern 92 #32,035

Geography

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Where Mcwaters' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Thornton-in-the-Moors, Govan Combination, Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity, Portpatrick and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Greenock East, Cheshire West and Chester, Liverpool, Stevenston Hayocks and County Durham. 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 Thornton-in-the-Moors Cheshire
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity Cheshire
4 Portpatrick Wigtown
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Greenock East Inverclyde
2 Cheshire West and Chester 002 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Liverpool 028 Liverpool
4 Stevenston Hayocks North Ayrshire
5 County Durham 041 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcwaters

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcwaters

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Mcwaters is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Mcwaters is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Mcwaters

The surname MCWATERS has its origins in Scotland, deriving from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "uachtar" meaning "surface" or "upper part". This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a body of water or on higher ground near water.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 16th century in the Scottish Lowlands. An entry in the Parish Records of Kilwinning in Ayrshire from 1587 mentions a James McWatters. Other early spellings included McWatters, McQuatters, and McQuarters.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical documents across Scotland. The Hearth Tax Rolls of 1691 for Renfrewshire list a John McWatters as a householder in the parish of Kilbarchan. The name is also found in the Commissariot Records of Edinburgh from 1674, which mention a Margaret McWatters.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John McWaters (1673-1744), a Scottish landowner and Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire from 1708 to 1715. He was involved in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 and was briefly imprisoned for his support of the rebellion.

Another significant figure was Rev. Robert McWaters (1721-1809), a Presbyterian minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1790. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment and was known for his progressive views on education and social reform.

In the 19th century, the name spread beyond Scotland as members of the McWaters family emigrated to other parts of the British Empire. William McWaters (1810-1892), a Scottish-born entrepreneur, established a successful shipping business in Australia and was influential in the development of the city of Melbourne.

Other notable bearers include James McWaters (1834-1901), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, and Eliza McWaters (1857-1938), an American author and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and education.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcwaters families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcwaters 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. Cheshire leads with 6 Mcwaters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.93x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 6 27.93x
Middlesex 4 4.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thornton Le Moors in Cheshire leads with 5 Mcwaters' recorded in 1881 and an index of 50000.00x.

Place Total Index
Thornton Le Moors 5 50000.00x
St Marylebone London 4 77.07x
Chester St John Baptist 1 256.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Amelia 2
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 1
Richard 1
Stuart 1
Thomas 1
William 1
Wm. 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 Mcwaters households.

FAQ

Mcwaters surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcwaters surname in 1881?

In 1881, 102 people were recorded with the Mcwaters surname. That placed it at #19,518 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcwaters surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016. That gives Mcwaters a modern rank of #32,035.

What does the Mcwaters surname mean?

A Scottish surname indicating a person from a town or area near water.

What does the Mcwaters map show?

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