Mackai
A masculine name of French origin meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Mackai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mackai today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mackai births was 2014 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mackai. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Mackai with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mackai. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2014
6 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#11,606
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Mackai: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mackai by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mackai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mackai
The name Mackai is a relatively modern variant of the traditional Scottish name McKay, which is derived from the Gaelic surname Mac Aidh, meaning "son of Aidh" or "son of fire." The name Aidh itself is thought to have originated from the Old Irish word "aed," meaning "fire." This connection to fire may have symbolized strength, courage, or a fiery personality.
The earliest recorded instances of the name McKay can be traced back to the 12th century in the Highlands of Scotland. The name was particularly prevalent among the Clan MacKay, one of the most powerful clans in the northern Scottish Highlands. The Clan MacKay was known for their fierce warriors and their involvement in various battles and conflicts throughout Scottish history.
While the name McKay has a long and storied history in Scotland, the variant spelling "Mackai" is a more recent development. It is believed to have emerged as a creative spelling variation in the late 20th century, perhaps as a way to add a unique flair to the traditional name.
Despite its modern spelling, the name Mackai still carries the rich cultural and historical significance of its Scottish roots. Notable individuals throughout history who bore the name McKay include:
1. Donald McKay (1810-1880), a renowned Scottish-American shipbuilder who designed and built some of the fastest and most technologically advanced clipper ships of the 19th century.
2. Sir Bertram Graham McKay (1892-1977), a British naval officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the Dardanelles Campaign during World War I.
3. Claude McKay (1889-1948), a Jamaican-American writer and poet who was a seminal figure in the Harlem Renaissance literary movement and a prominent voice for racial equality and social justice.
4. Gordon McKay (1821-1903), an American inventor and industrialist who made significant contributions to the development of modern shoe manufacturing techniques and machinery.
5. Everett McKay (1892-1984), an American football player and coach who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his coaching accomplishments at the University of Arizona and the University of Hawaii.
These individuals, along with countless others throughout history, have carried the name McKay (and its variant spellings) with pride, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and remarkable achievements associated with this enduring Scottish name.
People
Mackai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mackai as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mackai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mackai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mackai going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Mackai a common name?
We classify Mackai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mackai most popular?
The single biggest year for Mackai was 2014, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mackai is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Mackai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mackai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mackai in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Mackai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mackai in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Mackai can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Mackai?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.