Mckel
A variant spelling of the Irish surname McKeall, derived from the Irish Gaelic "mac Céile" meaning "son of a devotee".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Mckel. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Mckel today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mckel births was 1988 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mckel. 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 Mckel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1988
5 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2001 SSA rank
#11,713
Tracked since 1988
Gender
Gender distribution for Mckel
Mckel is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 10 total registrations, 5 (50.0%) were male and 5 (50.0%) were female.
Mckel as a male name
- Ranked #11,713 in 2001
- 5 male births in 2001
- Peak: 2001 (5 births)
Mckel as a female name
- Ranked #13,109 in 1988
- 5 female births in 1988
- Peak: 1988 (5 births)
Popularity
Mckel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mckel from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 5 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
Mckel 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 Mckel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mckel
The name Mckel is a unique and intriguing one, with a rich history that spans across various cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Celtic languages, where it is believed to have derived from the root word "mak," meaning "son" or "descendant." This suggests that Mckel may have been originally used as a patronymic name, indicating one's lineage or familial ties.
In the early medieval era, the name Mckel was prevalent among the Gaelic-speaking populations of Ireland and Scotland. It was often used as a variant spelling of the more common name "Michael," which itself has Hebrew roots and means "who is like God." This connection to the biblical name Michael may have imbued Mckel with a sense of reverence and significance in certain religious contexts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mckel can be found in the Irish Annals, a series of historical chronicles dating back to the 5th century AD. Here, the name is mentioned in reference to a notable figure, Mckel mac Cináed, who was a powerful chieftain in the kingdom of Dál Riata during the 9th century.
As the centuries passed, the name Mckel continued to be used by various individuals of note. In the 12th century, there was Mckel Ó Cléirigh, an Irish scribe and historian known for his contributions to the preservation of ancient Irish manuscripts. Another notable bearer of the name was Mckel Ó Maolchonaire, a 16th-century Irish poet and intellectual who played a significant role in the literary and cultural life of his time.
Moving into the modern era, the name Mckel has been carried by several influential figures across different fields. Mckel Maddox (1928-2003) was an American civil rights activist and labor leader who played a pivotal role in the struggle for equality and workers' rights. Mckel Herren (1944-2021) was a celebrated fashion designer and artist, renowned for his avant-garde creations and contributions to the world of haute couture.
In the realm of sports, Mckel Lomax (born 1965) was a professional basketball player from the United States, who enjoyed a successful career in both the NBA and international leagues. Mckel Bauresse (born 1977) is a French filmmaker and writer, whose works have been critically acclaimed and have garnered numerous awards at prestigious film festivals.
While the name Mckel may not be as widely used today as it once was, its historical significance and cultural resonance continue to echo through the annals of time, serving as a testament to the rich tapestry of human experience and diversity.
People
Mckel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mckel 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
Mckel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mckel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mckel 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 Mckel a common name?
We classify Mckel 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 Mckel most popular?
The single biggest year for Mckel was 1988, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mckel is about 30 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 Mckel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mckel a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Mckel 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.
Is Mckel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mckel 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 Mckel 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 called Mckel?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.