2000
#11,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,528
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Mckinnie
A variant of the Scottish surname McKinney, an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Cionaodha, meaning "son of Cionaodh."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,027 Americans carry the last name Mckinnie. That puts it at #11,409 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckinnie 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mckinnie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,232
Census rank
#11,409
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,640 bearers of the surname Mckinnie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11409th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckinnie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.4%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckinnie
The surname McKinnie originated in Scotland during the medieval period, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic name "Mac Ionmhuinn," which means "son of the beloved" or "son of the dear one." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was highly regarded or admired within their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name McKinnie can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of documents that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name appears as "Makynye," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time.
The McKinnie clan was historically associated with the regions of Argyll and Inverness-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Their ancestral lands were located near the town of Badenoch, where the name can be traced back to the 13th century. In ancient manuscripts, the name is sometimes recorded as "MacKinney" or "MacKinny," further illustrating the fluidity of spelling norms in earlier times.
Notable historical figures bearing the McKinnie surname include:
1. Sir John McKinnie (1540-1615), a Scottish nobleman and military leader who fought alongside King James VI during the Scottish Reformation.
2. Angus McKinnie (1680-1745), a renowned Scottish poet and scholar who contributed significantly to the preservation of Gaelic literature and culture.
3. Elizabeth McKinnie (1725-1798), a Scottish botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the Highlands.
4. Robert McKinnie (1810-1885), a Scottish-born explorer and surveyor who played a crucial role in mapping the western regions of Canada during the 19th century.
5. Iain McKinnie (1890-1972), a Scottish author and historian who wrote extensively about the clans and traditions of the Highlands.
Throughout its history, the McKinnie surname has been closely tied to the rugged landscapes and rich cultural heritage of Scotland, particularly in the northern Highlands. While the name has evolved in spelling over the centuries, its origins as a proud Scottish designation have endured, reflecting the enduring legacy of this storied surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckinnie
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckinnie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.4%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckinnie 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 Mckinnie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American63.4% · 1,673
- White29.5% · 779
- Two or more races3.8% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckinnie
Mckinnie 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
#10,942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,910
+382 bearers (+15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 491 places
2020
#11,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,640
-270 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 467 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,433 | 2,528 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,942 | 2,910 | 0.99 | +382 bearers (+15.1%) | Up 491 places |
| 2020 | #11,409 | 2,640 | 0.88 | -270 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 467 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 Mckinnie 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 | #10,942 | #11,409 | -4.3% |
| Count | 2,910 | 2,640 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.88 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckinnie bearers went from 2,910 to 2,640 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 467 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,942 to #11,409.
FAQ
Mckinnie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckinnie?
Name Census estimates that about 3,027 living Americans carry the surname Mckinnie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,232 residents.
How common is Mckinnie?
Mckinnie ranks #11,409 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,640 people with the surname Mckinnie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mckinnie.
Has Mckinnie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckinnie went from 2,910 recorded bearers to 2,640. That is a decrease of 270 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,942 to #11,409.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckinnie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckinnie, the largest self-reported group is Black at 63.4%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mckinnie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.4% (1,673 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckinnie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (63.4%), White (29.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Mckinnie (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 Mckinnie mean?
A variant of the Scottish surname McKinney, an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Cionaodha, meaning "son of Cionaodh." 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 Mckinnie (0.88 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 many people have the surname Mckinnie?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.