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 129047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKinley surname appeared 132 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 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 McKinnley originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "fhionnghaile" meaning "fair stranger." The name likely referred to someone whose ancestors were immigrants to a particular area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a Robert McKinnley was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish nobles who swore fealty to King Edward I of England after the Wars of Scottish Independence.

The McKinnley surname has undergone various spelling changes over the centuries, with alternative forms including McKinley, Mackinley, and Mackinlay. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or clerical errors in record-keeping.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John McKinnley (c. 1540-1610), a Scottish military commander who served under King James VI of Scotland. He played a crucial role in suppressing the Earl of Bothwell's rebellion in 1594.

The name McKinnley has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as McKinnley's Hill in Aberdeenshire and McKinnley's Loch in Stirlingshire. These locations may have derived their names from early McKinnley landowners or residents.

Another notable figure with the McKinnley surname was William McKinnley (1818-1893), a Scottish-born American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from California in the late 19th century.

In the realm of literature, the Scottish author and poet Robert McKinnley (1850-1922) gained recognition for his works depicting rural life in the Scottish Highlands during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many McKinnleys immigrated to North America, particularly to Canada and the United States, where they contributed to the development of various communities and industries.

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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