Mckayla
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "great fighter" or "fighter of fire".
Name Census estimates that about 12,943 living Americans carry the first name Mckayla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mckayla today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mckayla births was 1998 (769 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mckayla. 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
13K
~ 1 in 26,482 Americans
Peak year
1998
769 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2004 SSA rank
#2,416
Tracked since 1979
Gender
Gender distribution for Mckayla
Out of the 13,178 babies given the name Mckayla since 1880, 100.0% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Mckayla as a male name
- Ranked #12,569 in 2004
- 5 male births in 2004
- Peak: 2004 (5 births)
Mckayla as a female name
- Ranked #2,416 in 2024
- 75 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1998 (769 births)
Popularity
Mckayla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mckayla from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 5,710 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
Mckayla 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 Mckayla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mckaylas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 48 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Mckayla, while Hawaii, Alaska, Wyoming recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 241 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mckayla
The given name Mckayla is a modern variant of the traditional Scottish feminine name Michaela, which itself derives from the Hebrew name Michael meaning "who is like God?". The name Mckayla gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly in the United States and Canada.
The prefix "Mc" or "Mac" in the name Mckayla is a Scottish Gaelic patronymic meaning "son of". It was originally used to denote the patronymic lineage of a person, indicating that the bearer was the son or daughter of someone with the given name that followed the prefix. Over time, the prefix became an integral part of certain given names, including Mckayla.
While the name Mckayla does not have a long historical lineage, it does share its roots with the ancient Hebrew name Michael. The name Michael is found in various religious texts, including the Bible, where it is the name of an archangel. It has been a popular name throughout history and has been borne by numerous notable figures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mckayla can be traced back to the late 20th century. However, it is important to note that due to its relatively modern origin, there are limited historical references or famous bearers of this particular spelling.
That said, here are a few notable individuals who have carried the name Mckayla throughout history:
1. Mckayla Maroney (born 1995) - American former artistic gymnast and Olympic medalist.
2. Mckayla Morton (born 1994) - American basketball player.
3. Mckayla Fruge (born 1995) - American softball player.
4. Mckayla Thiessen (born 1988) - Canadian ice hockey player.
5. Mckayla Kruger (born 1988) - South African cricketer.
While the name Mckayla may not have a long and storied history, its roots can be traced back to ancient Hebrew and Scottish Gaelic origins, reflecting the cultural diversity and modern adaptations that have enriched the world of given names.
People
Mckayla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mckayla 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
Mckayla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mckayla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12,943 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mckayla 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 26,482 US residents.
Is Mckayla a common name?
We classify Mckayla as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13,178 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mckayla most popular?
The single biggest year for Mckayla was 1998, when 769 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mckayla is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mckayla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mckayla 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.