NameCensus.

UK surname

Mechen

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Mechen surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 162, ranked #22,512, up from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brighton and Hove, Sunderland and Govanhill West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mechen is 172 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 170.0%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

162

2016, ranked #22,512

Peak year

2000

172 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mechen had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016, ranked #22,512.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 96 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Mechen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mechen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mechen 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 16 #30,441
1861 historical 25 #30,804
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 50 #30,253
1901 historical 69 #26,499
1911 historical 96 #23,193
1997 modern 161 #20,176
1998 modern 168 #20,181
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 172 #19,974
2001 modern 172 #19,696
2002 modern 165 #20,619
2003 modern 162 #20,624
2004 modern 154 #21,432
2005 modern 154 #21,396
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 155 #21,726
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 167 #21,383
2010 modern 163 #22,205
2011 modern 159 #22,382
2012 modern 153 #22,963
2013 modern 160 #22,621
2014 modern 170 #21,914
2015 modern 168 #21,971
2016 modern 162 #22,512

Geography

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Where Mechens 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 Brighton and Hove, Sunderland and Govanhill West. 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 Brighton and Hove 017 Brighton and Hove
2 Brighton and Hove 009 Brighton and Hove
3 Sunderland 035 Sunderland
4 Govanhill West Glasgow City
5 Brighton and Hove 008 Brighton and Hove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mechen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mechen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mechen, 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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Mechen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mechen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Mechen 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

Mechen is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mechen falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mechen 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 - British

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

1881 census detail

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Mechen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mechen 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. Sussex leads with 24 Mechens recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.33x.

County Total Index
Sussex 24 24.33x
Surrey 12 4.21x
Essex 4 3.46x
Kent 4 2.00x
Angus 3 5.53x
Dumfriesshire 3 23.20x
Flintshire 3 19.07x
Middlesex 3 0.51x
Gloucestershire 1 0.87x
Lanarkshire 1 0.53x
Northamptonshire 1 1.82x
Perthshire 1 3.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 21 Mechens recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.53x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 21 105.53x
Battersea 7 32.51x
Camberwell 5 13.38x
Lewisham 4 37.56x
Walthamstow 4 96.15x
Bethnal Green London 3 11.80x
Dumfries 3 234.38x
Rhuddlan 3 217.39x
Southwick 3 576.92x
Liff Benvie 2 24.30x
Hamilton 1 18.94x
Lochee 1 208.33x
Logie 1 106.38x
Peterborough Minster Close 1 1666.67x
Stapleton 1 45.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 4
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Maria 2
Sarah 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Caroline 1
Frances 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Rose 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

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 Mechen households.

FAQ

Mechen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mechen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Mechen surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mechen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 162 in 2016. That gives Mechen a modern rank of #22,512.

What does the Mechen map show?

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