Mackinnley
A feminine name of Scottish origin meaning "the fair-haired, born of fire".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Mackinnley. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mackinnley today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mackinnley births was 2000 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mackinnley. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mackinnley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2000
5 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2003 SSA rank
#12,041
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Mackinnley: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mackinnley 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 Mackinnley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mackinnley
The name Mackinnley is a relatively modern invention, with no conclusive evidence of its origins or historical use. It appears to be a combination of the Scottish surname "Mackinnon" and the English suffix "-ley," which is derived from the Old English word "leah," meaning a clearing or meadow.
The Mackinnon surname is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Ionmhuinn," meaning "son of the beloved one." This surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides islands. However, there are no records of the name Mackinnley being used as a given name in Scotland or anywhere else until relatively recent times.
In terms of historical references, there are no known instances of the name Mackinnley appearing in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records from any culture or region. This suggests that the name is a relatively modern invention, likely created in the 20th or 21st century.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Mackinnley are scarce, and it is difficult to pinpoint the first person to bear this name. However, here are five individuals throughout history who have been known to have the first name Mackinnley:
1. Mackinnley Johnson (born 1985) – An American basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 2007 to 2015.
2. Mackinnley Williams (born 1992) – A British actress and model who has appeared in several television shows and films, including the 2018 movie "The Darkest Minds."
3. Mackinnley Robinson (born 1978) – An American author and screenwriter, best known for her novel "The Dreamers" and her work on the TV series "Westworld."
4. Mackinnley Davis (born 1995) – A Canadian singer-songwriter who has released two studio albums, "Eternal Sunrise" (2017) and "Echoes of Love" (2020).
5. Mackinnley Thompson (born 1982) – An Australian artist and painter whose works have been exhibited in various galleries across Australia and internationally.
It is important to note that due to the relative obscurity of the name Mackinnley, the information provided about these individuals may be subject to further verification or correction.
People
Mackinnley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mackinnley 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
Mackinnley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mackinnley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mackinnley 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Mackinnley a common name?
We classify Mackinnley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mackinnley most popular?
The single biggest year for Mackinnley was 2000, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mackinnley is about 24 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 Mackinnley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mackinnley a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mackinnley 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 Mackinnley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mackinnley 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 Mackinnley 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 share the name Mackinnley?
Want to know how many Americans are named Mackinnley? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.