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

McKenley, 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 McKenley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKenley in America

McKenley is the 113791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKenley surname appeared 154 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname McKenley.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKenley 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 McKenley

The surname MCKENLEY is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the name McKinley, which derives from the Gaelic "mac Fhionghuin," meaning "son of Finguine." Finguine was an Old Gaelic personal name of uncertain origin, possibly related to the word "fionn," meaning "fair" or "white."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MCKENLEY can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage to Edward I of England. In this document, a "Gillecrist MacKenley" from the county of Argyll is listed as having sworn fealty to the English king.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the MCKENLEY surname appears to have been concentrated in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. The name is associated with the lands of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, where a "John McKenley" is recorded as a witness to a charter in 1593.

Notable bearers of the MCKENLEY surname throughout history include:

1. James MCKENLEY (c. 1610-1680), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who emigrated to Ulster and served as the minister of Monaghan, Ireland.
2. William MCKENLEY (c. 1720-1795), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia, USA, in the mid-18th century.
3. Margaret MCKENLEY (c. 1780-1856), a Scottish-born writer and poet whose works were published in various literary magazines of the early 19th century.
4. John MCKENLEY (1837-1921), a Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the MCKENLEY Steel Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
5. Robert MCKENLEY (1897-1964), a Scottish-born actor and stage performer who appeared in several productions on Broadway and in London's West End theaters.

While the MCKENLEY surname may have variations in spelling, such as McKinley or MacKinley, it has maintained a distinct identity and legacy throughout its history, with bearers making significant contributions in various fields across different regions of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKenley

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

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

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

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