NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcwilliams

Son of William, an English and Scottish patronymic surname.

In the 1881 census there were 830 people recorded with the Mcwilliams surname, ranking it #4,540 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,794, ranked #2,416, up from #4,540 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall, Johnstone North West and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcwilliams is 2,886 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 236.6%.

1881 census count

830

Ranked #4,540

Modern count

2,794

2016, ranked #2,416

Peak year

2010

2,886 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcwilliams had 830 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,540 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,794 in 2016, ranked #2,416.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,229 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mcwilliams surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcwilliams surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcwilliams 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 371 #6,410
1861 historical 467 #5,562
1881 historical 830 #4,540
1891 historical 1,002 #4,139
1901 historical 1,229 #4,029
1911 historical 709 #6,014
1997 modern 2,508 #2,512
1998 modern 2,580 #2,533
1999 modern 2,629 #2,510
2000 modern 2,589 #2,531
2001 modern 2,562 #2,505
2002 modern 2,657 #2,485
2003 modern 2,592 #2,486
2004 modern 2,637 #2,457
2005 modern 2,597 #2,459
2006 modern 2,613 #2,451
2007 modern 2,665 #2,432
2008 modern 2,702 #2,429
2009 modern 2,806 #2,404
2010 modern 2,886 #2,390
2011 modern 2,828 #2,403
2012 modern 2,740 #2,432
2013 modern 2,780 #2,441
2014 modern 2,830 #2,416
2015 modern 2,800 #2,417
2016 modern 2,794 #2,416

Geography

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Where Mcwilliams' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall, Johnstone North West, Northumberland, Crookston South and Govanhill East and Aikenhead. 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 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dunterlie, East Arthurlie and Dovecothall East Renfrewshire
2 Johnstone North West Renfrewshire
3 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
4 Crookston South Glasgow City
5 Govanhill East and Aikenhead Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcwilliams

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcwilliams

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

Mcwilliams 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mcwilliams

The surname McWilliams has its origins in Scotland, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic name, derived from the personal name "William," which itself is of Germanic origin, meaning "resolute protector." The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" is a Gaelic form meaning "son of," indicating that the name originally referred to the son of a man named William.

McWilliams is a common surname in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in areas such as Argyll, Ayrshire, and the Hebrides islands. It is thought to have originated in these regions, where the name can be traced back to the 12th and 13th centuries.

Historical records suggest that the McWilliams clan was associated with the powerful Clan Donald, one of the largest and most influential Scottish clans. The earliest known record of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the Scottish barons who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the McWilliams name was Sir John McWilliams, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King James IV at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Another prominent McWilliams was William McWilliams, born in 1642, who served as a Presbyterian minister and played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

As the centuries passed, the McWilliams surname spread throughout Scotland and beyond. In the 17th century, during the plantation of Ulster, many Scottish settlers, including those with the McWilliams name, migrated to Ireland, establishing roots in counties like Antrim and Down.

Notable McWilliams individuals include:

1. Sir William McWilliams (1795-1869), a British naval officer and explorer who surveyed parts of the Australian coast. 2. John McWilliams (1839-1914), an Irish-American architect known for designing several prominent buildings in New York City. 3. Carey McWilliams (1905-1980), an American author and editor who wrote extensively on social and political issues in California. 4. Jeremiah McWilliams (1712-1786), an Irish-born American soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. 5. Malcolm McWilliams (1891-1981), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.

The McWilliams surname has endured through the centuries, and its Scottish roots and rich history continue to be celebrated by those who bear this name today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcwilliams families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcwilliams 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. Durham leads with 13 Mcwilliams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.00x.

County Total Index
Durham 13 8.00x
Cumberland 9 19.14x
Kent 8 4.29x
Middlesex 7 1.28x
Surrey 6 2.26x
Lancashire 5 0.77x
Glamorgan 2 2.10x
Hampshire 2 1.79x
Cheshire 1 0.83x
Cornwall 1 1.62x
Northumberland 1 1.23x
Renfrewshire 1 2.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heworth in Durham leads with 11 Mcwilliams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 343.75x.

Place Total Index
Heworth 11 343.75x
Whitehaven 8 318.73x
Plumstead 7 112.72x
St Andrew Holborn 6 324.32x
Clapham 5 73.21x
Gelligaer 2 92.17x
Liverpool 2 5.08x
Salford 2 10.49x
Altrincham 1 47.39x
Ebchester 1 400.00x
Harton 1 156.25x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 20.62x
North Meols 1 15.77x
Portsea 1 4.56x
St Clement 1 153.85x
St Cuthbert W O 1 43.67x
St George In East 1 26.95x
Walmer 1 123.46x
West Greenock 1 13.16x
Wimbledon 1 33.44x
Yaverland 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Ellen 3
Margaret 3
Elizabeth 2
Esther 2
Jessie 2
Sarah 2
Annie 1
Emily 1
Jane 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Marion 1
Maryann 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Mcwilliams surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcwilliams surname in 1881?

In 1881, 830 people were recorded with the Mcwilliams surname. That placed it at #4,540 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcwilliams surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,794 in 2016. That gives Mcwilliams a modern rank of #2,416.

What does the Mcwilliams surname mean?

Son of William, an English and Scottish patronymic surname.

What does the Mcwilliams map show?

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