NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcwhirter

A Scottish occupational surname referring to a carpenter or carriage maker, derived from the Gaelic "MacChruiteir."

In the 1881 census there were 720 people recorded with the Mcwhirter surname, ranking it #5,060 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,061, ranked #5,505, down from #5,060 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Girvan, Govan Combination and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carrick South, Eden and Stranraer South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcwhirter is 1,063 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.4%.

1881 census count

720

Ranked #5,060

Modern count

1,061

2016, ranked #5,505

Peak year

2013

1,063 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcwhirter had 720 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,060 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,061 in 2016, ranked #5,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 933 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcwhirter surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcwhirter surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcwhirter 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 452 #5,452
1861 historical 513 #5,102
1881 historical 720 #5,060
1891 historical 801 #5,022
1901 historical 933 #5,002
1911 historical 208 #14,594
1997 modern 979 #5,595
1998 modern 1,022 #5,579
1999 modern 1,035 #5,555
2000 modern 1,023 #5,578
2001 modern 1,009 #5,544
2002 modern 1,011 #5,638
2003 modern 997 #5,607
2004 modern 1,006 #5,569
2005 modern 1,003 #5,532
2006 modern 989 #5,611
2007 modern 994 #5,634
2008 modern 995 #5,670
2009 modern 1,024 #5,658
2010 modern 1,032 #5,725
2011 modern 1,009 #5,776
2012 modern 1,013 #5,682
2013 modern 1,063 #5,538
2014 modern 1,059 #5,592
2015 modern 1,052 #5,563
2016 modern 1,061 #5,505

Geography

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Where Mcwhirters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Girvan, Govan Combination, Glasgow, Colmonell and Ballantrae. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carrick South, Eden, Stranraer South, Machars North and Newton Stewart. 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 Girvan Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Colmonell Ayr
5 Ballantrae Ayr

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carrick South South Ayrshire
2 Eden 007 Eden
3 Stranraer South Dumfries and Galloway
4 Machars North Dumfries and Galloway
5 Newton Stewart Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcwhirter

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcwhirter

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mcwhirter 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

Mcwhirter 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

Mcwhirter falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcwhirter 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mcwhirter

The surname McWhirter is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Dhuibhshíth, meaning "dark" or "swarthy one". The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" means "son of" in Gaelic, indicating a patronymic surname.

The McWhirter name can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Ayrshire, Scotland. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a dark complexion or hair color.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McWhirter appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls documenting Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Gillemor McWhyter".

In the 15th century, variations of the spelling included McWhytre, McQuiter, and McQuhiter, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciation variations at the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the parishes of Kilmarnock and Loudoun in Ayrshire.

A notable historical figure bearing the McWhirter surname was John McWhirter (1837-1926), a renowned Scottish landscape painter who was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1892. He is known for his vivid depictions of the Scottish Highlands and coastal scenes.

Another prominent individual was Alexander McWhirter (1895-1979), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada from 1953 to 1957.

In the literary world, George McWhirter (1839-1907) was a Scottish poet and journalist who wrote under the pen name "Lachlann Mor". He was known for his works celebrating the Scottish Highlands and its people.

Robert McWhirter (1859-1935) was a Scottish inventor and engineer who developed the first successful pneumatic tire for bicycles, patenting his design in 1888.

Lastly, Dorothy McWhirter (1905-1985) was a British author and playwright best known for her children's book "The Silver Brumby", which was later adapted into a film in 1993.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcwhirter families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcwhirter 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. Renfrewshire leads with 4 Mcwhirters recorded in 1881 and an index of 75.76x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 4 75.76x
Lancashire 2 2.48x
Middlesex 1 1.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Greenock in Renfrewshire leads with 4 Mcwhirters recorded in 1881 and an index of 421.05x.

Place Total Index
West Greenock 4 421.05x
Ardwick 2 273.97x
Paddington London 1 40.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 1
Jessie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Wm.Hy. 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 Mcwhirter households.

Occupation Count
Stone Mason 1

FAQ

Mcwhirter surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcwhirter surname in 1881?

In 1881, 720 people were recorded with the Mcwhirter surname. That placed it at #5,060 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcwhirter surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,061 in 2016. That gives Mcwhirter a modern rank of #5,505.

What does the Mcwhirter surname mean?

A Scottish occupational surname referring to a carpenter or carriage maker, derived from the Gaelic "MacChruiteir."

What does the Mcwhirter map show?

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