2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Macksey
A surname of Scottish origin meaning "son of the servant of Aodh".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Macksey. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macksey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Macksey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macksey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macksey
The surname Macksey is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "MacGhaidh," which means "son of the stranger." The name first appeared in the historical records of the county of Ayrshire in western Scotland.
One of the earliest documented references to the Macksey name can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of written acts of homage made to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century. The Ragman Rolls list several individuals with the surname, including William Mackghye and John Makgeye.
In the 14th century, the Macksey name was commonly spelled as "Makgey" or "Makgye." This variation can be seen in the records of the Battle of Harlaw, a Scottish civil conflict that took place in 1411. The name is mentioned in connection with several individuals who participated in the battle, including Gilmor Makgye and Donald Makgye.
During the 16th century, the spelling of the surname evolved further, with "Macksey" becoming the more commonly used form. One notable figure from this period was John Macksey (1510-1585), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Ross from 1568 until his death.
In the 17th century, the Macksey family established a presence in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the region of Argyll and Bute. A prominent member of the family during this time was Sir Andrew Macksey (1620-1698), a Scottish landowner and member of the Parliament of Scotland.
The 18th century saw the Macksey name spread to other parts of the British Isles, including England and Ireland. One notable individual from this period was William Macksey (1738-1812), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament.
Other notable individuals with the surname Macksey include:
1. James Macksey (1832-1902), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Macksey Trust.
2. Sir Thomas Macksey (1856-1924), a British politician and Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party.
3. Eleanor Macksey (1870-1945), an American author and journalist known for her works on women's suffrage.
4. Sir Percivall Macksey (1892-1982), a British military historian and author of several books on World War II.
5. Joseph Macksey (1920-2005), an American artist and sculptor known for his abstract expressionist works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macksey
Among Census respondents with the surname Macksey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Macksey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Macksey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 7
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macksey
Macksey appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-34 bearers (-23.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 35,982 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -34 bearers (-23.4%) | Down 35,982 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Macksey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macksey bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Macksey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macksey?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Macksey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Macksey?
Macksey ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Macksey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Macksey.
Has Macksey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macksey went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Macksey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macksey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Macksey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macksey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (6.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Macksey (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Macksey mean?
A surname of Scottish origin meaning "son of the servant of Aodh". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Macksey (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Macksey?
Want to know how many people are called Macksey? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.