UK name, mostly boys
Mackenzie
A gender-neutral name of Scottish origin meaning "son of the fair, bright one".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 1,491 girls.
Mackenzie is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Mackenzie popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #924, with 34 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 510 births.
This profile covers 4,241 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 7% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 4,893 living people in the UK are called Mackenzie. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mackenzie ranked #924 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 34 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 510 boys were registered as Mackenzie.
- • Mackenzie ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #343 in 2013.
- • Mackenzie is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 4,893 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mackenzie as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 74.0% of Mackenzie registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#924
2024
Births in 2024
34
Latest year
Peak year
2005
510 births
Estimated living
4,893
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Mackenzie
In England and Wales birth records, Mackenzie has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 74.0% of registrations are for boys and 26.0% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Mackenzie registered for boys
- Ranked #924 in 2024
- 34 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2005 (510 births)
Mackenzie registered for girls
- Ranked #2,000 in 2024
- 14 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2003 (157 births)
Meaning
What does Mackenzie mean?
The name Mackenzie originated in Scotland and is derived from the Gaelic personal name Coinneach, which means "handsome" or "comely." The name is also related to the Scottish surname MacKenzie, meaning "son of Coinneach." The spelling variations include MacKenzie, McKenzie, and Mackenzie.
In the 12th century, the name was associated with the powerful Clan Mackenzie, who ruled over large territories in the Scottish Highlands. The clan's origins can be traced back to a semi-legendary figure named Gillean Og, who lived in the 13th century and was said to be the progenitor of the Mackenzie clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mackenzie appears in the 14th century, when Sir Reginald Mackenzie was granted lands in Ross-shire by King David II of Scotland. In the 16th century, John Mackenzie, 9th of Kintail (1515-1561), played a significant role in the clan's expansion and consolidation of power.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Mackenzie. One of the most famous was Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1764-1820), a Scottish explorer and fur trader who completed the first overland journey across continental North America in 1793, reaching the Pacific Ocean.
Another prominent figure was William Lyon Mackenzie (1795-1861), a Scottish-Canadian journalist and political rebel who led the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 against the British colonial government.
In the literary world, Compton Mackenzie (1883-1972) was a renowned Scottish novelist, playwright, and memoirist, best known for his satirical novels such as "Sinister Street" and "The Monarch of the Glen."
Douglas Mackenzie (1753-1851), a Scottish explorer and naval officer, is remembered for his expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions in the early 19th century, as well as his contributions to the mapping of the Australian coastline.
Lastly, Murial Mackenzie (1876-1953), a Scottish nurse and suffragette, played a crucial role in the women's suffrage movement in the United Kingdom and was a prominent advocate for women's rights.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mackenzie over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Mackenzie in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mackenzie, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 34 births in 2024, compared with 510 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mackenzie by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mackenzie was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1083 | 133 | 5 |
| 2010s | #680 | 758 | 10 |
| 2000s | #177 | 3,149 | 10 |
| 1990s | #421 | 201 | 4 |
Geography
Where Mackenzie is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mackenzie. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Mackenzie ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #343 in 2013.
Across the UK
Mackenzie in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#727 in 2024
30 years of NRS records, 601 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#343 in 2013
11 years of NISRA records, 90 total registered
Related
Names similar to Mackenzie
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Mackenzie: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mackenzie in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mackenzie was ranked #924 for boys in England and Wales, with 34 births registered.
When was Mackenzie most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 510 babies registered as Mackenzie in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mackenzie?
A gender-neutral name of Scottish origin meaning "son of the fair, bright one".
How many people are called Mackenzie in the UK?
A total of 4,241 babies have been registered as Mackenzie across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 601 more in Scotland and 90 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Mackenzie most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mackenzie ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #343 in 2013. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.