girl's name
Mckenna
muh-KEN-uh (English)
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 47,372
the United States
#410
2025 births
Mckenna means son of the fire god, and the name is 100 percent female on record — the Mac is a literal patronymic and Cionaodh names a pre-Christian deity, neither of which has been softened.
- Mckenna is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 2002, when 1,804 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,374 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1972.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Mckenna Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 29 |
| 1980s | 519 |
| 1990s | 8,552 |
| 2000s | 16,398 |
| 2010s | 13,221 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,772 |
What Mckenna Means
Mckenna means son of Cionaodh, a name built on the fire god Aodh. The son element is literal, and the fire is divine rather than descriptive.
Where Mckenna Comes From
Mckenna anglicizes the Irish Mac Cionaodha, son of Cionaodh — a name joining a first element to Aodh, the pre-Christian god of fire and the sun. Keegan, elsewhere on this site, descends from the same deity by a different patronymic. The MacKenna family held land in Truagh in County Monaghan. Its use as a given name is American, modern and almost entirely female despite the patronymic.
Mckenna in Use
Mckenna peaked in the United States in 2002, when 1,804 babies were registered, and it is stable rather than falling. It now ranks 410th in the United States on 758 births and 4,478th in England and Wales on 5, across 47,372 lifetime births in three markets. It is on record from 1972, so the whole of its history is recent.
How Popular Is Mckenna?
In 2025, Mckenna was given to 758 babies in the United States, ranking #410 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Mckenna 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 Mckenna
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Mckenna Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mckenna over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Mckenna
- English muh-KEN-uh /məˈkɛn.ə/
1 nickname for Mckenna
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Mckenna 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.
Sibling Names for Mckenna
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Mckenna — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Mckenna
What does the name Mckenna mean?
Son of Cionaodh — a name built on Aodh, an Irish god of fire.
Is Keegan related?
Through the same god, by a different patronymic.
Is it odd for a girls' name?
The Mac is a literal patronymic, and birth records are essentially all female.
How popular is Mckenna?
410th in the United States, and stable rather than falling.
How many syllables are in Mckenna?
Mckenna has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Mckenna?
Mckenna is usually shortened to Kenna.
Is Mckenna a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mckenna currently ranks #409 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.