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

MacKenzie, 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 MacKenzie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of MacKenzie in America

MacKenzie is the 2628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The MacKenzie surname appeared 13,733 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname MacKenzie.

We can also compare 2010 data for MacKenzie 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 MacKenzie

The surname MACKENZIE is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic words 'mac' meaning 'son of' and 'cuindigh' meaning 'handsome' or 'bright one'. The name first appeared in the 13th century in the Scottish Highlands and is associated with the Clan Mackenzie, one of the most powerful clans in the region.

The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Coinneach Mor, who lived in the late 12th century and was the progenitor of the Clan Mackenzie. The name MACKENZIE is closely linked to the historical events and battles involving the clan, such as the Battle of Locharbriggs in 1480 and the Clan's support for the Jacobite cause in the 18th century.

One of the most notable figures in the history of the MACKENZIE surname was Sir George Mackenzie, born in 1636, who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland and played a significant role in the political and legal affairs of the time. Another prominent bearer of the name was Colin Mackenzie, born in 1754, a Scottish surveyor and explorer who produced the first accurate survey of the Indian subcontinent.

The name MACKENZIE is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Mackenzie's Castle in Ross-shire and the town of Kintail, where the Clan Mackenzie had their ancestral lands. The spelling variations of the name over time include Mackenzie, MacKenzie, MacKenzia, and Mackenzy.

Other notable individuals who bore the surname MACKENZIE throughout history include Alexander Mackenzie, born in 1764, a Scottish explorer who completed the first known transcontinental crossing of North America, and Sir Alexander Mackenzie, born in 1838, a Canadian politician and businessman who served as the second Prime Minister of Canada from 1873 to 1878.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name MacKenzie

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

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 MacKenzie 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 MacKenzie 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 MacKenzie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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