boy's name
Mack
MAK
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 44,075
the United States
#463
2025 births
Mack means son of, and on its own it is only half a name — the Gaelic mac is a prefix, so using it alone is like naming a child Junior with nothing in front of it.
- Mack is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 1942, when 847 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 4,963 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Mack over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,062 |
| 1890s | 1,370 |
| 1900s | 1,562 |
| 1910s | 3,907 |
| 1920s | 5,512 |
| 1930s | 4,682 |
| 1940s | 5,686 |
| 1950s | 4,228 |
| 1960s | 2,725 |
| 1970s | 1,741 |
| 1980s | 1,306 |
| 1990s | 1,019 |
| 2000s | 1,270 |
| 2010s | 3,200 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,630 |
What Mack means
Mack means son of. It is a Gaelic patronymic prefix used as a name in its own right, so it carries a relationship without naming the person it refers to.
Where Mack comes from
Mack is the Gaelic mac, a son, the prefix in Macdonald, MacLeod and hundreds of others. Used alone it is a fragment, though it also serves as a short form of any Mac- surname and of Maximilian. The Irish equivalent Mag appears before vowels, giving Maguire from Mag Uidhir. Mack was also American slang for a man of any name, which is a separate line. Our data marks it reviving.
Mack in use
Mack peaked in the United States in 1942, when 847 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 267th in Scotland on 16 births, 463rd in the United States on 668, 828th in Ireland on 4 and 1034th in England and Wales on 30, across 44,075 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. England, Scotland and Ireland each reached their own highs in 2024.
How popular is Mack?
In 2025, Mack was given to 668 babies in the United States, ranking #463 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Mack is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Mack
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Mack also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mack over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Mack in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- German
- Maximilian
- Scottish Gaelic
- Mac
- Seediq
- Mac
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Mackenzie
Sibling names for Mack
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Mack — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Mack
What does the name Mack mean?
Son of — the Gaelic patronymic prefix, used on its own.
Is Mac different from Mc?
No. Mc is simply an abbreviation of the same prefix.
What about Mag?
The Irish form before vowels — Mag Uidhir gives Maguire.
Is Mack coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, and three markets each reached their own high in 2024.
How popular is the name Mack?
In 2025, Mack was given to 668 babies in the United States, ranking #463 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Mack a girl's or a boy's name?
Mack is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Mack?
Mack has 1 syllable.
When was Mack most popular?
Mack peaked in 1942, when 847 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Mack a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mack currently ranks #267 in the United States. After peaking in the 1940s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.