NameCensus.

UK surname

Meharry

An English surname of Scottish origin derived from a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 2 people recorded with the Meharry surname, ranking it #33,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 114, ranked #28,515, up from #33,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ07, Orbiston and Bellshill Central.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Meharry is 120 in 2012. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5600.0%.

1881 census count

2

Ranked #33,721

Modern count

114

2016, ranked #28,515

Peak year

2012

120 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Meharry had 2 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016, ranked #28,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 19 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Meharry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Meharry surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Meharry 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 4 #32,658
1861 historical 19 #31,470
1881 historical 2 #33,721
1891 historical 12 #33,181
1901 historical 2 #34,263
1911 historical 11 #32,463
1997 modern 85 #28,988
1998 modern 92 #28,680
1999 modern 98 #28,050
2000 modern 99 #27,845
2001 modern 94 #28,246
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 104 #27,101
2004 modern 109 #26,607
2005 modern 116 #25,564
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 119 #26,067
2009 modern 118 #26,766
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 120 #26,961
2013 modern 117 #27,838
2014 modern 116 #28,253
2015 modern 112 #28,809
2016 modern 114 #28,515

Geography

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Where Meharrys 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 IZ07, Orbiston, Bellshill Central, Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill and Cleland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ07 East Lothian
2 Orbiston North Lanarkshire
3 Bellshill Central North Lanarkshire
4 Roystonhill, Blochairn, and Provanmill Glasgow City
5 Cleland North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Meharry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Meharry

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Meharry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Meharry household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Meharry 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

Meharry is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Meharry falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Meharry 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 Meharry, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Meharry

The surname Meharry is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the lands of Meharrie in Ayrshire, Scotland. The name is a habitation name, derived from the Old English word "mere," meaning a boundary or a marsh, and "ey," meaning an island.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, where a certain John Meharry is mentioned as a witness to a charter in 1542. In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records in Ayrshire and neighboring regions.

The Meharry surname has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was John Meharry (1765-1840), a Scottish merchant and entrepreneur who established a successful trading company in the West Indies. Another prominent figure was Samuel Meharry (1801-1869), a Scottish-born American businessman who made his fortune in the salt industry and became a prominent philanthropist.

In the United States, the name Meharry gained recognition with the establishment of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1876. The college was founded by the Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church and named after the Meharry family, who were among the institution's early benefactors. The college has played a significant role in providing medical education to African Americans and remains a renowned institution to this day.

Another notable individual with the Meharry surname was Robert Meharry (1857-1925), a Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the steel industry and was a generous supporter of various educational and charitable causes.

One of the earliest recorded variations of the name was "Mehary," which can be found in Scottish records from the 16th and 17th centuries. Other variations include "Meharie," "Meharie," and "Meherry."

The Meharry surname has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in Scottish heritage. While its origins can be traced back to the lands of Meharrie in Ayrshire, the name has since spread across the globe, with notable individuals bearing the surname making significant contributions in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Meharry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Meharry 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 2 Meharrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2 8.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 2 Meharrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 143.88x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 2 143.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 1
Jane 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 Meharry households.

Occupation Count
Cigar Maker 2

FAQ

Meharry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Meharry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2 people were recorded with the Meharry surname. That placed it at #33,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Meharry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 114 in 2016. That gives Meharry a modern rank of #28,515.

What does the Meharry surname mean?

An English surname of Scottish origin derived from a place name.

What does the Meharry map show?

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