NameCensus.

UK surname

Ogilvie

From a place near a creek or stream, derived from the Scottish Gaelic "oglebury" meaning "high plain."

In the 1881 census there were 2,906 people recorded with the Ogilvie surname, ranking it #1,543 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,517, ranked #1,929, down from #1,543 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Arbroath and St. Vigeans and Elgin. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stobswell, Ardler and St Marys and Lunan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ogilvie is 3,541 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.0%.

1881 census count

2,906

Ranked #1,543

Modern count

3,517

2016, ranked #1,929

Peak year

2010

3,541 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ogilvie had 2,906 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,543 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,517 in 2016, ranked #1,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,140 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ogilvie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ogilvie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ogilvie 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 1,902 #1,523
1861 historical 1,956 #1,492
1881 historical 2,906 #1,543
1891 historical 3,070 #1,533
1901 historical 3,140 #1,787
1911 historical 725 #5,900
1997 modern 3,203 #2,011
1998 modern 3,399 #1,969
1999 modern 3,458 #1,963
2000 modern 3,457 #1,954
2001 modern 3,314 #1,988
2002 modern 3,386 #2,003
2003 modern 3,314 #1,993
2004 modern 3,398 #1,949
2005 modern 3,360 #1,942
2006 modern 3,343 #1,953
2007 modern 3,390 #1,940
2008 modern 3,421 #1,937
2009 modern 3,457 #1,973
2010 modern 3,541 #1,965
2011 modern 3,463 #1,987
2012 modern 3,386 #1,986
2013 modern 3,445 #1,992
2014 modern 3,510 #1,970
2015 modern 3,469 #1,967
2016 modern 3,517 #1,929

Geography

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Where Ogilvies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Elgin, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stobswell, Ardler and St Marys, Lunan, Law and Charleston. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
3 Elgin Elgin
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stobswell Dundee City
2 Ardler and St Marys Dundee City
3 Lunan Angus
4 Law Dundee City
5 Charleston Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ogilvie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ogilvie

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

Ogilvie 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

Ogilvie falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ogilvie

The surname Ogilvie originates from Scotland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic elements "og" meaning young, and "gille" meaning servant or lad, indicating that the name may have been a personal name or byname before becoming a hereditary surname.

The Ogilvie family is thought to have originated from the lands of Ogilvie, near Arbroath in Angus, Scotland. The name is also associated with the historic Ogilvie Castle, which was the ancestral seat of the Ogilvie clan. In the 13th century, the Ogilvies were prominent landowners and held significant influence in the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ogilvie name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland. The entry lists "Walter de Ogylville" as one of the vassals.

Sir Walter Ogilvy (c. 1360-1440) was a notable figure in the 15th century, serving as Lord High Treasurer of Scotland and playing a pivotal role in the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, where he commanded the vanguard of the royal army against the Lord of the Isles.

Another prominent Ogilvie was James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Findlater (1663-1711), a Scottish nobleman and politician who served as Lord High Chancellor of Scotland and was a member of the Parliament of Scotland.

In the literary world, the name is linked to John Ogilvie (1733-1813), a Scottish poet and writer who is best known for his works "Rona, a Poem" and "An Essay on the Lyric Poetry of the Ancients."

Other notable individuals with the Ogilvie surname include Sir William Ogilvie (1736-1819), a Scottish inventor and civil engineer who patented several improvements to the process of bleaching linen and cotton, and William Ogilvie (1901-1989), a Scottish journalist and author who wrote extensively about Australia and the Pacific region.

The Ogilvie name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Ogylby, Ogilvy, and Ogilbie, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects. Despite these variations, the name has maintained a strong presence in Scotland and has been carried by numerous influential figures throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ogilvie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ogilvie 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. Angus leads with 843 Ogilvies recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.20x.

County Total Index
Angus 843 32.20x
Lanarkshire 313 3.42x
Aberdeenshire 252 9.63x
Midlothian 225 5.94x
Fife 152 9.09x
Morayshire 108 24.60x
Perthshire 97 7.65x
Middlesex 74 0.26x
Durham 72 0.86x
Banffshire 64 10.92x
Renfrewshire 61 2.79x
Kent 59 0.61x
Stirlingshire 59 5.66x
Lancashire 53 0.16x
Northumberland 48 1.14x
Yorkshire 47 0.17x
Surrey 46 0.33x
Kincardineshire 36 10.46x
Roxburghshire 32 6.25x
Ayrshire 27 1.28x
Gloucestershire 26 0.47x
Sussex 20 0.42x
Clackmannanshire 19 8.14x
Hampshire 14 0.24x
Cumberland 13 0.53x
East Lothian 13 3.47x
Buteshire 12 7.01x
Ross-shire 12 1.55x
Nairnshire 11 12.75x
Northamptonshire 10 0.38x
Somerset 10 0.22x
Derbyshire 7 0.16x
Devon 7 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 7 0.92x
Glamorgan 7 0.14x
Peeblesshire 6 4.51x
Royal Navy 6 1.78x
Argyllshire 5 0.64x
Westmorland 5 0.81x
Suffolk 4 0.12x
Shetland 3 1.04x
Inverness-shire 2 0.24x
Channel Islands 1 0.12x
Denbighshire 1 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.16x
Essex 1 0.02x
Hertfordshire 1 0.05x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x
Warwickshire 1 0.01x
West Lothian 1 0.24x
Wigtownshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 318 Ogilvies recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.54x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 318 32.54x
Liff Benvie 130 32.71x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 109 7.16x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 102 20.83x
Barony 90 3.89x
Aberdeen Old Machar 75 13.73x
Govan 74 3.27x
Glasgow 68 4.19x
Elgin 62 72.58x
Forfar 48 33.86x
Barry 47 149.59x
Kirriemuir 40 61.92x
St Ninians 39 37.75x
Arbroath 28 32.27x
Monifieth 26 28.11x
Brechin 24 23.33x
West Greenock 24 6.11x
Dunfermline 23 8.94x
Inveresk 22 21.46x
Fordyce 20 47.42x
Horbury 20 40.82x
Mains 20 89.89x
Rothes 20 93.37x
Errol 17 72.34x
Leslie 17 40.13x
St Vigeans 17 12.03x
South Leith 16 3.76x
Elvet 15 24.72x
Maryhill 14 7.83x
Plumstead 14 4.36x
Woolwich 14 3.93x
Rutherglen 13 9.70x
Dunnichen 12 86.96x
Guthrie 12 279.72x
Keith 12 19.20x
Rothesay 12 14.47x
St Monance 12 60.06x
Tealing 12 163.71x
Alloa 11 9.72x
Auchterhouse 11 170.81x
Bishopwearmouth 11 1.52x
Camberwell 11 0.61x
Croydon 11 1.44x
Ferry Port On Craig 11 39.97x
Grange 11 64.10x
Kensington London 11 0.70x
Lochee 11 47.11x
Nairn 11 21.02x
Panbride 11 80.65x
Perth East Church 11 9.20x
Barnwell All Sts 10 751.88x
Chichester St Pancras 10 70.22x
Dawdon 10 9.67x
Edinburgh St Marys 10 13.59x
Lambeth 10 0.41x
Mearns 10 26.06x
Newhills 10 18.66x
Rhynd 10 347.22x
West Derby 10 1.02x
Bervie 9 44.14x
Castleton 9 40.93x
Cathcart 9 7.60x
Cheltenham 9 2.10x
Edinburgh St Georges 9 11.45x
Falkirk 9 3.69x
Fintray 9 90.09x
Hunslet 9 2.06x
Inverarity 9 107.02x
St Marylebone London 9 0.60x
Tyrie 9 27.40x
Bristol St Peter 8 40.36x
Cambuslang 8 8.68x
Gorbals 8 14.75x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 2.20x
Larbert 8 12.84x
Leeds 8 0.51x
Sprouston 8 80.56x
St Andrews 8 10.51x
St George Hanover 8 2.17x
Strathmiglo 8 40.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 31
Jane 21
Isabella 17
Sarah 14
Elizabeth 13
Margaret 12
Ann 11
Emily 9
Ellen 7
Eliza 6
Louisa 6
Agnes 5
Annie 5
Eleanor 5
Alice 4
Emma 4
Martha 4
Catherine 3
Frances 3
Helen 3
Janet 3
Jessie 3
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Harriet 2
Julia 2
Katherine 2
Tamer 2
Amelia 1
Antoinnette 1
B.M. 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Christian 1
Christina 1
Clementina 1
Constance 1
Dorothea 1
E.B. 1
E.C. 1
E.F. 1
Frederica 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Williamina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 32
William 31
James 22
George 19
Alexander 14
Charles 12
Robert 11
Frederick 7
Thomas 7
Arthur 6
Henry 6
David 5
Francis 5
Edward 4
Walter 4
Duncan 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Patrick 3
Adam 2
Alfred 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Matthew 2
Peter 2
Thos. 2
Wilfred 2
Andrew 1
B. 1
Bart 1
Bartholomew 1
Campbell 1
Cecil 1
Doncan 1
Douglas 1
Ellis 1
Fredrick 1
Furgus 1
Geo. 1
Helen 1
Jon 1
Laurence 1
Leonard 1
Leslie 1
Lindsay 1
N.A. 1
Norman 1
Wm.David 1

FAQ

Ogilvie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ogilvie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,906 people were recorded with the Ogilvie surname. That placed it at #1,543 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ogilvie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,517 in 2016. That gives Ogilvie a modern rank of #1,929.

What does the Ogilvie surname mean?

From a place near a creek or stream, derived from the Scottish Gaelic "oglebury" meaning "high plain."

What does the Ogilvie map show?

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