2000
#4,746
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,825
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.53
Rare Last name
Mckoy
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacAoidh," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,925 Americans carry the last name Mckoy. That puts it at #4,421 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,404 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mckoy 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 Mckoy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,404
Census rank
#4,421
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,783 bearers of the surname Mckoy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4421st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mckoy
The surname McKoy is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Aoidh, which means "son of Aodh" or "son of Hugh." The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Isles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1292, where a certain Duncan Makay is mentioned. The name also appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
The McKoy surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, such as McKay, Makay, and Makkay. These variations reflect the challenges of transliterating Gaelic names into written English and the influence of regional dialects.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the McKoy surname was Sir William McKoy, a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served under King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England). He played a crucial role in the negotiations leading to the Union of the Crowns in 1603.
Another prominent individual was Sir Donald McKoy (1591-1670), a Scottish nobleman and landowner in Argyll. He was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War and fought alongside the Marquis of Montrose.
In the 18th century, Sir James McKoy (1719-1797) was a Scottish-born merchant and landowner in the West Indies. He amassed a considerable fortune through his involvement in the sugar trade and owned plantations in Jamaica and Antigua.
One of the most famous bearers of the McKoy surname was James McKoy (1793-1853), a Scottish-American writer and explorer. He is best known for his travel narratives and accounts of his expeditions in the American West, including his book "Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California."
In the 19th century, Sir John McKoy (1831-1903) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman. He served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in various commercial ventures, including the lumber industry and railway construction.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the McKoy surname throughout the centuries, spanning various regions, professions, and achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mckoy
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mckoy 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 Mckoy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.7% · 6,281
- White11.0% · 856
- Two or more races4.8% · 371
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 209
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mckoy
Mckoy 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
#4,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,820
+995 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 2.65
Rank movement Up 211 places
2020
#4,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,783
-37 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 2.60
Rank movement Up 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,746 | 6,825 | 2.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,535 | 7,820 | 2.65 | +995 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 211 places |
| 2020 | #4,421 | 7,783 | 2.60 | -37 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 114 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 Mckoy 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 | #4,535 | #4,421 | 2.5% |
| Count | 7,820 | 7,783 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.65 | 2.60 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mckoy bearers went from 7,820 to 7,783 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,535 to #4,421.
FAQ
Mckoy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mckoy?
Name Census estimates that about 8,925 living Americans carry the surname Mckoy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,404 residents.
How common is Mckoy?
Mckoy ranks #4,421 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,783 people with the surname Mckoy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,925), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Mckoy.
Has Mckoy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mckoy went from 7,820 recorded bearers to 7,783. That is a decrease of 37 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,535 to #4,421.
What does the Census say about the background of Mckoy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mckoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.7%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Mckoy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (6,281 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mckoy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.7%), White (11.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Mckoy (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 Mckoy mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "MacAoidh," meaning "son of Aodh" (a personal name meaning "fire"). 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 Mckoy (2.60 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 last name Mckoy?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Mckoy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.