girl's name · in the US
Mckenzie
muh-KEN-zee (English)
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Girl (US)
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 74,858
the United States
#576
2025 births
Mckenzie means son of Coinneach, and the z was never a z — it replaced a lost Scots letter called yogh, so the name has been mispronounced into its own spelling. It holds 74,858 lifetime births on record.
- Mckenzie is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 2000, when 2,586 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 6,279 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1917.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Mckenzie Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 14 |
| 1920s | 20 |
| 1930s | 11 |
| 1940s | 37 |
| 1950s | 27 |
| 1960s | 45 |
| 1970s | 462 |
| 1980s | 2,467 |
| 1990s | 16,218 |
| 2000s | 22,943 |
| 2010s | 19,886 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,915 |
What Mckenzie Means
Mckenzie means son of Coinneach, a Gaelic name meaning handsome or fair one. The surname names a descent rather than describing the person carrying it.
Where Mckenzie Comes From
Mckenzie respells MacKenzie, from the Scottish Gaelic MacCoinnich — son of Coinneach, handsome or comely. The z is a printing accident: Middle Scots used the letter yogh for a sound English lost, printers substituted z because it looked similar, and pronunciation followed the spelling. Menzies preserves the same substitution and Scots still say it as Mingis. Coinneach is often confused with Cinaed, the separate name behind Kenneth, which does mean born of fire.
Mckenzie in Use
Mckenzie peaked in the United States in 2000, when 2,586 babies were registered, and is falling. It charts in three markets — 576th in the United States on 528 births, 1,193rd in England and Wales on 28 and 1,284th in Canada — across 74,858 lifetime births. About 90 percent of recorded births are female. Mackenzie, written up separately, holds substantially more volume.
How Popular Is Mckenzie?
In 2025, Mckenzie was given to 528 babies in the United States, ranking #576 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Mckenzie 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 Mckenzie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Mckenzie Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mckenzie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Mckenzie is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Girls' 99% girls · 11,489 babies
- England & Wales Both 18% girls · 564 babies
- Canada Girls' 98% girls · 354 babies
How to Say Mckenzie
- English muh-KEN-zee /məˈkɛn.zi/
1 nickname for Mckenzie
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.
Mckenzie 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 Mckenzie
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Mckenzie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Mckenzie
What does the name Mckenzie mean?
Son of Coinneach — a Gaelic name meaning handsome or fair one.
Why is there a z?
Printers substituted z for the lost letter yogh because it looked similar, and pronunciation followed.
Does it mean born of fire?
No — that belongs to Cinaed, the separate name behind Kenneth.
How popular is Mckenzie?
576th in the United States, down from a 2000 peak of 2,586 births.
Is Mckenzie a girl's or a boy's name?
Mckenzie is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Mckenzie?
Mckenzie has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Mckenzie?
Mckenzie is usually shortened to Kenzie.
Is Mckenzie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mckenzie currently ranks #576 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.