The baby name Mackenzie leapt from the small screen to the top of the popularity charts.
Thanks to Ellen for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME MACKENZIE MEAN?
This Scottish surname comes from a given name that meant attractive. It ultimately traces back to the Old Irish name Cainnech, from cain – handsome or beautiful.
The personal name Coinneach, or Coinnich is Anglicized as Kenneth.
So the surname, Mac Coinneachor Mac Coinnich, is said to mean “son of Kenneth.”
Clan Mackenzie features in the history of Scotland from the twelfth century onward, complete with plenty of castles and a familiar tartan.
In Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, members of the Mackenzie family feature across the centuries.
MACKENZIE AS A GIVEN NAME
Like many surnames, Mackenzie has been in sparing use for over the centuries, especially for boys.
- A late nineteenth century Canadian prime minister, Mackenzie Bowell is one notable.
- British artist Mackenzie Thorpe made his name in the 1990s.
- Actor Mackenzie Astin joined the cast of The Facts of Life as Andyin 1985. He’s acted steadily ever since, most recently seen in series like The Magicians, You, and The Pitt.
LAURA MACKENZIE PHILLIPS
The world met actress Mackenzie Phillips in 1973, when she made her big screen debut in hit movie American Graffiti.
She became a household name as Julie Cooper in 1970s decade-defining sitcom One Day at a Time.
Way before we’d ever heard the term nepo baby, Mackenzie was the daughter of John Phillips, member of legendary folk quartet The Mamas & the Papas. She’d eventually write a harrowing memoir about her childhood and early adult years. But that was in 2009, long after her name had become established as a 1990s favorite.
Phillips has continued to act, most recently appearing in Orange is the New Black.
GIRLS’ NAMES ENDING IN IE
We’ve always loved three-syllable girls’ names ending in IE or Y.
In 1976, the US Top 100 included Stephanie, Melanie, and Valerie. The baby name Mackenzie, with a hint of Scotland and a stylish sound, fit right in. It debuted in the US Top 1000 that year.
The names followed in a long-established pattern. From Dorothy to Kimberly to Natalie to Destiny, every generation features a few popular girls’ names sharing the same rhythm.
Plenty of them – starting with Kimberly and continuing through 2020s favorites like Everly and Emery – started out as last names.
GENDER-NEUTRALITY
Like many surnames, Mackenzie trended for boys and girls at the same time. It would debut in the boys’ Top 1000 in 1985. Strictly speaking, Mackenize is a unisex name, and nickname Mack, rhymes with Jack, emphasizes its wearability for a son.
Actor Mackenzie Astin first became famous as a child star. He played Andy on The Facts of Life. He’s most recently been seen in a recurring role in Netflix’s You. Chances are that Astin’s rise to fame in the 1980s explains the name’s debut on the boys’ charts.
MANY MACS
But during the 1990s, the Macs and Mcs were predominantly stylish names for girls.
In addition to Top 100 Mackenzie, other Mac/Mc names included:
- Mckenzie and Makenzie, two other possible spellings of the name. At peak popularity, spellings like Makenzee, Mckinzie, Mykenzie, and M’Kenzie were seen.
- Mckenna, a name from the same Gaelic roots as Mackenzie, but with the -a ending, a little more feminine. Makenna was also popular.
- Mckayla took the feminine form of Michael, Michaela, and respelled it to suggest a Scottish origin.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME MACKENZIE?
Always the most popular spelling, the baby name Mackenzie peaked for girls in the year 2001, charting at #40.
Given the many Mc/Mac names and spellings of Mackenzie in use, odds are it felt even more popular.
As of 2023, the name charted at #165.
It’s held up better than Makenna, Mckayla, and similar names.
In more recent years, McKinley has climbed in use, and Kenzie reached the US Top 300 as an independent name in the 2010s.
Elsewhere in the English-speaking world, the baby name Mackenzie has also fared well. It remaisn popular in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Canada. It’s mostly fallen out of use in England and Wales, and it never caught on in Scotland.
FAMOUS MACKENZIES
The name’s popularity means that many a Mackenzie appears in headlines now, including:
- Actress Mackenzie Christine Foy, best known as Renesmee in the Twilight movies.
- Reality television includes Dance Moms alum Mackenzie Ziegler, now an aspiring singer.
- Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott made her fortune as part of the creation of Amazon. After divorcing her husband, company founder Jeff Bezos, Scott has focused on charitable giving, pledging to donate the majority of her significant wealth and regularly making significant gifts.
Dozens more Mackenzies have excelled in music and the arts.
Listing fictional Mackenzies would take pages more. One of note: Geena Davis starred as main character Mackenzie Allen in Commander in Chief.
ESTABLISHED SURNAME CHOICE
While many of the other Mac/Mc names feel dated, the baby name Mackenzie has a little more staying power.
Maybe it’s Mackenzie’s status as a Scottish name. Or possibly it just fits so well with Delaney and Avery that it continues to feel like a logical choice in the United States.
While it’s no longer among the most popular girls names, Mackenzie feels more like Madison or even Meredith. It’s a solidly established surname choice, one that we’ll continue to hear into the future.
What do you think of the baby name Mackenzie?
First published on July 26, 2012, this post was revised on March 31, 2025.
As is my general feeling on using surnames, I like Mackenzie only if there is a family connection, and spelt the way the family spells it.
I always feel a bit odd about the popularity of surnames as first names. It seems like there’s a very narrow range of names, mostly derived from some part of the UK. No big trend towards naming kids Rodriguez for no particular reason, or Mikhailovich, and they’re as much patrynomics as MacKenzie or Jackson.
It feels a bit weird to me.
Jordanna, I agree – and I would hesitate to ink an English surname on my kids’ birth certificates, as they’re mostly Italian and Polish, and it feels the tiniest bit inauthentic. But I’m into family names. If I weren’t, there are lots of surnames that appeal to me on sound alone.
My husband’s middle is the English equivalent of his mother’s maiden name. I’ve met a few other people who have similar stories, or have made similar choices for their children. I know someone who truncated a long, family German surname to get a very wearable middle name for both of her kids. So they’re tough to spot, but I do think they’re out there …
To me, taking a name from a foreign country and not respecting its original gender is not only annoying, but disrespectful. Mackenzie clearly is a masculine name, and it remains masculine in the UK (McKenzie, Mackenzie and Kenzie). I once met a older irish man who was appaled that people named girls Kelly, he said “if you’re naming your daughters Kelly you might as well name her Patrick”. If I were Irish or Scottish or whatever, say named MacKenzie or Rory, and I came to the US to find it being used and abused on little girls, I’d be not only irritated, but I’d probably feel insulted.
Mackenzie doesn’t bother me because I grew up with so many it seems as normal a name as Allison.
Makayla bothers me immensely, mostly because I love the name spelled Michaela.
Unless you’re a total “meaning of names” purist, to criticize the “son of” names is silly because there are tons of names that have meanings that aren’t great.
Meaning can be important, but I have a feeling that people who are looking down on parents who have named their daughter something that means “son of” think a name like Sloane is cool- Sloane apparently means “man of arms.”
And so what if someone borrows a name from another culture? Being American, I could identify at least 10 different countries in my background… at some point, it all just gets muddled.
One reason that this site is so great is because I can see a name and not like it, but once I’ve read the history about it, I at least appreciate it more.
I agree with you completely, AirLand. I happen to like the meanings of my kids’ names, but those are happy accidents. We took names (more or less) from our family trees. If those names had unpleasant derivations it simply would not matter one bit.
As for backgrounds, that’s a very nice point. Our kids can claim at least half a dozen heritages, but their names don’t match up very well with our ancestors’ nations of origin. I’d never actually given it a moment’s thought. (That’s saying something, I think.)
This could grow on me if someone actually used it in honour of a family name. It is interesting to note that many have said this is the type of name they would have liked as a child and used on their Barbies. Not me. I went from despising it to actually somewhat appreciating it if used in the correct context. Even then, it is still not a huge favorite.
Well, MacKenzie *is* my surname, and I much prefer it with the capital K.
When Josie was born, she didn’t have a first name to go on the bassinet at the hospital so they wrote only her last name on it. I got so many “oh, what a pretty name” comments which made me cringe as I replied (every time) with a ” but that’s her Last Name!”
That said, the cute little girl across the street is a Mackenzie. We were invited to her big brother J@cob’s birthday party a few years ago. When his mom found out our last name was the same as her princess’s first, she was horrified. She has since stopped talking to us and tries very hard to pretend we’re not here. 😀 It makes me laugh, actually. I think it’s a horrible choice for a girl’s first name if it’s a random choice. If it’s a family name, I wouldn’t mind it on a boy. I can’t wait to hear what little Mackenzie’s nickname will end up. (My money’s on Mac). ;D
That’s a strange reaction on the mother’s part! Was she embarrassed by her name choice?
@Charlotte Vera: I’m not sure, really. I’m afraid to ask her. :/ But, yep. Embarrassed was my first guess. *shrug* Not my problem. 😀
that does seem strange to me. I would think it was great. I guess we’re all different.
I like Mackenzie. It’s my favorite thus far of this week’s names.
I know a man whose mother wanted to name him Mackenzie in the mid 80s, but got talked down into making it a middle name instead. His first name is Ryan and he’s said he dodged a bullet (he has a very traditional, conservative personality, lifestyle and career).
I was honestly surprised by the Mackenzie hate, especially those who take issue with the meaning. Do you dislike Allison just as much? What about Charlotte, the feminization of Charles, meaning “manly?” Or Mallory, meaning bad luck? Or Cecilia? Claudia?
If so, more power to you for at least being consistent. But it truly bothers me when people get hung up on one meaning but not another, equally “bad.”
Mackenzie’s not my style, but like many I like to avoid surnames that aren’t in my family tree. But I can’t say I’d rule out MacKay (rhymes with eye), which IS a family name, for a boy OR girl.
Because Mackenzie is taking a surname from a foreign culture that was created to signify something very simple – a boy who is Kenneth’s son – and use it for a woman who is Albert or Bill’s son. With Addison and Emerson is even worse because these the meaning in so obvious even in modern English – Addy’s son, Emer’s son (yet somehow Jackson and Harrison are seen as completely male – go figure).
(Alison is a French name of a completely different origin – Alice plus the diminutive suffix “on”. Not comparable.)
Charlotte, Claudia, and Cecilia have been used in the Western World for centuries. They are the names of royals and saints and those associations are much more important than their original, obscure meanings.
That being said, I don’t have a problem with using surnames as first names as long as they are actually in the family tree – and aren’t patronymics on girls.
I don’t quite understand the hatred of patronymics on girls when dealing with a name in their family tree. Obviously, women have been given said names as surnames for centuries. I would understand the logic if such names were only given to male decendants, but that isn’t the case now. Also, to me, the “meaning” of the name is referencing the first “son of Kenneth,” and not the whole of his lineage.
To clarify, I am referring to last names with “I would understand the logic if such names were only given to male decendants, but that isn’t the case now.”
depends on where you live. not many people where I’m from would have any idea of the name of a royal or a saint with any of those names. Mackenzie does not feel like it comes from a foreign culture to them if their grandfather is Scottish, for instance. Most people who use mackenzie on a girl though aren’t familiar with any of those things. they just like how it sounds.
Great point!
I like the name Mackenzie. There I said it. ( But as a boy’s name;) )