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

McKinley, 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 McKinley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKinley in America

McKinley is the 1489th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKinley surname appeared 24,000 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname McKinley.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKinley 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 McKinley

The surname McKinley is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic "mac Fhionghaine," meaning "son of Fingan." It is a patronymic name that emerged in the Scottish Highlands during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "McKynlay" in this historical record.

In the 16th century, the name was frequently spelled as "McKinley" or "McKinlay" in various Scottish records and chronicles. It was prevalent in the regions of Argyll, Ayrshire, and Lanarkshire, where the McKinley clan had established themselves.

Notable historical figures with the surname McKinley include Sir John McKinley (1637-1718), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the economic development of Glasgow. Another prominent individual was William McKinley (1843-1901), the 25th President of the United States, who was born in Niles, Ohio, to a family of Scottish ancestry.

In the 17th century, the name McKinley was associated with the town of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, which was once known as "McKinleyville" or "McKinley's Town." This town was renowned for its historical abbey and connections to the Knights Templar.

Other notable individuals with the surname McKinley include Reverend John McKinley (1721-1793), a Presbyterian minister and educator who founded the prestigious Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, and William McKinley Osborne (1787-1845), a Scottish-American politician and lawyer who served as a judge in Ohio.

The McKinley name has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as McKinley's Ferry in Argyll and McKinley's Loch in Ayrshire, further reinforcing the historical ties of this surname to the Scottish Highlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKinley

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

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

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

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