Fun Facts About the Name Mckay
- More than 2 thousand babies named Mckay: U.S. records list 2,665 babies given the name Mckay from 1880 through 2025. Even 369 girls received the name Mckay - about 1 girl for every 6 boys.
What Does the Name Mckay Mean?
Mckay is an anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic and Irish surname Mac Aoidh (Irish Mac Aodha), which means "son of Aodh." Aodh is an old Gaelic personal name derived from Old Irish áed, "fire." The element mac means "son of," so the literal sense of the surname is "son of Aodh," or "son of the fire" if the personal name is translated rather than kept. Because Aodh was commonly rendered in English as Hugh, the surname is sometimes glossed as "son of Hugh," but that is a substitution of the anglicized personal name, not a different meaning.
Mckay Name History & Origins
The surname behind Mckay arose in both the Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlands and Ireland, where the same personal name Aodh was common in noble families. In Scotland, Mac Aoidh is the Gaelic form of the name of Clan Mackay, whose traditional territory lay in Strathnaver, in the far north of Sutherland. In Ireland, Mac Aodha appeared as a surname in more than one region; in parts of Ulster it was often anglicized as McGee or Magee, while other areas produced McKay and similar spellings.
The spellings MacKay, McKay, and Mckay reflect the same name: Mc is simply a written abbreviation of Mac, and capitalizing or lowercasing the c is a matter of house style rather than a difference in origin. Aodh was anglicized as Hugh, so early English-language records of these families can show either form. As a first name, Mckay is a transferred use of the surname, adopted mainly in the United States and Canada along with other surname-style given names, and used for both boys and girls.
How Popular is the Name Mckay?
Mckay has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1995. Its best rank was #1,184 in 1995.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,619 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #12,954 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #8,786 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #9,434 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #10,823 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #16,679 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #17,310 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #13,615 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #15,572 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #9,929 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #12,694 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #11,644 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #11,913 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #8,475 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2010 | #10,238 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #19,204 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #14,857 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #13,482 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #16,452 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #8,681 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #8,093 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #13,355 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #6,587 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #8,040 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #8,955 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #5,147 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1998 | #6,591 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #6,072 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1996 | #6,999 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #6,158 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #6,207 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #10,216 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #8,502 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #9,904 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #8,145 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #11,607 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,629 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2024 | #3,648 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2023 | #3,595 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 2022 | #2,896 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 2021 | #2,682 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2020 | #3,178 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2019 | #2,790 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2018 | #2,690 | 46 | 0.0025% |
| 2017 | #3,492 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2016 | #2,357 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2015 | #2,839 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2014 | #2,335 | 56 | 0.0029% |
| 2013 | #2,105 | 64 | 0.0034% |
| 2012 | #2,283 | 57 | 0.0030% |
| 2011 | #2,031 | 67 | 0.0035% |
| 2010 | #1,949 | 72 | 0.0038% |
| 2009 | #2,340 | 56 | 0.0028% |
| 2008 | #2,368 | 55 | 0.0027% |
| 2007 | #2,011 | 70 | 0.0034% |
| 2006 | #1,961 | 69 | 0.0034% |
| 2005 | #2,156 | 57 | 0.0029% |
| 2004 | #1,872 | 66 | 0.0033% |
| 2003 | #1,864 | 64 | 0.0032% |
| 2002 | #1,632 | 74 | 0.0038% |
| 2001 | #1,654 | 71 | 0.0037% |
| 2000 | #1,736 | 65 | 0.0033% |
| 1999 | #1,541 | 73 | 0.0038% |
| 1998 | #1,615 | 65 | 0.0034% |
| 1997 | #1,462 | 74 | 0.0039% |
| 1996 | #1,312 | 84 | 0.0044% |
| 1995 | #1,184 | 96 | 0.0050% |
| 1994 | #1,431 | 68 | 0.0035% |
| 1993 | #1,676 | 53 | 0.0027% |
| 1992 | #1,769 | 48 | 0.0024% |
| 1991 | #2,445 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1990 | #2,837 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1989 | #2,188 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1988 | #3,302 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1987 | #2,910 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1986 | #2,085 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1985 | #2,907 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1984 | #3,388 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #2,872 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1982 | #3,857 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1981 | #2,984 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1980 | #3,760 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1979 | #3,109 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #3,022 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1977 | #4,444 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #3,636 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #3,585 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #5,488 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #2,988 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1934 | #4,023 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #4,592 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,696 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #3,749 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1917 | #3,827 | 6 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Mckay Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Mckay's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mckay's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.