Find out how popular the last name MacKay is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named MacKay.

MacKay, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the MacKay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of MacKay in America

MacKay is the 3600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The MacKay surname appeared 9,886 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname MacKay.

We can also compare 2010 data for MacKay to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name MacKay

The surname MACKAY has its origins in the Scottish Highlands and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name "Mac Aidh," meaning "son of Aodh" or "son of Hugh." The name Aodh itself is an old Gaelic name meaning "fire" or "flame."

The earliest known record of the name MACKAY dates back to the early 13th century, with a reference to a "Yharus Maccay" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1263. The name was particularly prominent in the counties of Sutherland and Caithness in the far north of Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the MACKAY name was Iye Monro of Foulis, who was born around 1335 and is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1366. Iye Monro was a notable figure in the clan system of the Scottish Highlands and is considered an ancestor of the MACKAY clan.

In the 15th century, the MACKAY clan played a significant role in the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, where they fought alongside the Earl of Mar against the forces of the Lord of the Isles. The MACKAY chief at the time, Angus Du Mackay, is recorded as having led his clansmen into battle.

The MACKAY surname also has connections to various place names in Scotland, such as Strathnaver and Tongue in Sutherland, as well as the Mackay Islands off the coast of Tongue. The name "Mackay's Country" was once used to refer to the traditional territories of the MACKAY clan in the northern Highlands.

Notable individuals with the surname MACKAY throughout history include:

1. Hugh Mackay (1640-1692), a Scottish military leader who served as a general in the Dutch army and later as a commander-in-chief of the Scottish army during the Glorious Revolution.

2. Ebenezer Mackay (1675-1746), a Scottish writer and journalist who founded the periodical "The Scots Magazine" in 1739.

3. Charles Mackay (1814-1889), a Scottish poet, journalist, and author best known for his works such as "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds" and poems like "Cheer, Boys, Cheer."

4. Angus Mackay (1810-1859), a Scottish-born American explorer and fur trader who played a significant role in the early exploration and settlement of the Pacific Northwest.

5. John William Strutt Mackay (1831-1902), a Scottish-born American mining engineer and entrepreneur who made a fortune in the Comstock Lode silver mines in Nevada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name MacKay

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname MacKay.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for MacKay was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of MacKay has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name MacKay was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of MacKay, please contact us.

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