Mackayla
From the Gaelic name "Mairearad", meaning "child of light".
Name Census estimates that about 1,276 living Americans carry the first name Mackayla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mackayla today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mackayla births was 1998 (71 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mackayla. 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.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 268,616 Americans
Peak year
1998
71 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,724
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Mackayla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mackayla from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 573 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mackayla 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 Mackayla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mackaylas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Mackayla, while Washington, Pennsylvania, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mackayla
The given name Mackayla is a relatively modern name with roots tracing back to the Gaelic language. It is a feminine form of the Scottish name Mackay, which originated as a surname derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "aidh" meaning "fire" or "blaze." Therefore, Mackayla can be interpreted to mean "daughter of the fiery one" or "daughter of the blazing one."
The earliest recorded use of the name Mackayla dates back to the late 20th century, likely emerging as a creative spelling variation of the more traditional Scottish name Mackay. While the name itself does not have a long historical lineage, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic culture and language of Scotland.
In terms of notable historical figures bearing the name Mackayla, there are relatively few due to its modern nature. However, some individuals of note include:
1. Mackayla Joy Carter (born 1994), an American child actress known for her roles in films such as "The Blind Side" and "The Descendants."
2. Mackayla Maroney (born 1995), an American former artistic gymnast who won a gold medal as part of the United States women's gymnastics team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
3. Mackayla Jayde (born 1998), an Australian singer-songwriter and actress who rose to prominence as a contestant on the reality competition show "The X Factor" in 2015.
4. Mackayla Kyla (born 1996), an American independent singer-songwriter and YouTuber known for her acoustic covers and original compositions.
5. Mackayla Pauley (born 1997), an American professional soccer player who currently plays as a defender for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League.
While the name Mackayla may not have a long and storied history, its Gaelic roots and modern popularity have contributed to its growing presence in recent decades. As a name with a strong and fiery meaning, it has become a unique and distinctive choice for parents seeking a feminine name with a touch of Scottish heritage.
People
Mackayla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mackayla 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
Mackayla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mackayla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,276 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mackayla 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 268,616 US residents.
Is Mackayla a common name?
We classify Mackayla as "Rare". It ranks above 91.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,296 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mackayla most popular?
The single biggest year for Mackayla was 1998, when 71 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mackayla is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mackayla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mackayla in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.