Mckaela
A feminine name derived from Scottish roots meaning "daughter of a prudent leader".
Name Census estimates that about 294 living Americans carry the first name Mckaela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mckaela today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mckaela births was 2010 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mckaela. 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
294
~ 1 in 1,165,831 Americans
Peak year
2010
37 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2017 SSA rank
#15,304
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Mckaela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mckaela from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 112 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mckaela 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 Mckaela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mckaelas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Mckaela
The name Mckaela is a modern English variant of the traditional Scottish name Makela, which itself is derived from the Gaelic name Machail. The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" in Scottish names means "son of," indicating that the original bearer of the name Mckaela was the son of a person named Kael or Cael.
The name Kael is believed to have its roots in the Gaelic word "caol," meaning "slender" or "slim." This suggests that the name Mckaela may have been given to a child who was perceived as slender or slim at birth. Alternatively, it could also have been used to describe someone with a slim or slender build.
While there are no known historical references to the name Mckaela in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to Scotland in the late 19th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Mckaela was Mckaela MacKinnon (1875-1948), a Scottish educator and advocate for women's rights. She was instrumental in establishing several schools for girls in the Scottish Highlands and played a pivotal role in promoting education for women during her time.
Another notable figure was Mckaela Campbell (1892-1972), a Scottish painter known for her vibrant landscapes and portraiture. Her works were widely exhibited throughout the United Kingdom and are now part of several prestigious art collections.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Mckaela was Mckaela O'Reilly (1903-1985), an Irish-American journalist and author. She wrote several books on Irish culture and history and was a prominent voice in promoting Irish-American causes during her lifetime.
During the 20th century, the name Mckaela gained popularity outside of its Scottish origins. One notable figure was Mckaela Gonzalez (1925-2007), a Mexican-American activist and community organizer. She dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of migrant workers and played a crucial role in improving working conditions and educational opportunities for Latino communities in the southwestern United States.
Another prominent individual with the name Mckaela was Mckaela Saunders (1941-2020), an Australian environmentalist and conservationist. She was instrumental in establishing several national parks and nature reserves in Australia and was a vocal advocate for protecting endangered species and preserving the country's unique biodiversity.
While the name Mckaela has seen a surge in popularity in recent decades, its roots can be traced back to its Scottish Gaelic origins, where it was initially used to describe someone with a slender or slim build. Throughout history, individuals with this name have made significant contributions in various fields, from education and the arts to social activism and environmental conservation.
People
Mckaela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mckaela 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
Mckaela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mckaela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 294 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mckaela 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 1,165,831 US residents.
Is Mckaela a common name?
We classify Mckaela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 299 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mckaela most popular?
The single biggest year for Mckaela was 2010, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mckaela is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mckaela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mckaela 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.