UK name, mostly boys
Mckinley
From a Scottish surname meaning "son of the handsome lad.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mckinley is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Mckinley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4107, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 11 births.
This profile covers 100 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2001 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 36% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 106 living people in the UK are called Mckinley. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mckinley ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 11 boys were registered as Mckinley.
- • Mckinley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #599 in 2020.
- • About 106 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mckinley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 96.2% of Mckinley registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4107
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2012
11 births
Estimated living
106
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Mckinley
In England and Wales birth records, Mckinley has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 96.2% of registrations are for boys and 3.8% 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.
Mckinley registered for boys
- Ranked #4,107 in 2023
- 4 boys registered in 2023
- Peak: 2012 (11 births)
Mckinley registered for girls
- Ranked #4,838 in 2012
- 4 girls registered in 2012
- Peak: 2012 (4 births)
Meaning
What does Mckinley mean?
The name Mckinley is a Scottish surname that originated in the Gaelic language. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "fionn" meaning "fair" or "white." The name McKinley, therefore, translates to "son of the fair or white one."
The name Mckinley gained popularity as a given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, likely due to the prominence of William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States (1897-1901). William McKinley was born in 1843 and assassinated in 1901.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the given name Mckinley was Mckinley Naring, an American artist and painter born in 1904. He was known for his landscape paintings and murals depicting scenes of the American West.
Another notable figure with the name Mckinley was Mckinley Millet, an American writer and activist born in 1918. He was involved in the civil rights movement and wrote several books exploring themes of race, identity, and social justice.
In the world of sports, Mckinley "Deacon" Jones (1938-2013) was a renowned American football player who played as a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
Mckinley "Deacon" Moore (1913-1999) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He played with various jazz groups and led his own ensemble, the Deacon Moore Orchestra, which performed in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s.
Mckinley Morganfield, better known by his stage name Muddy Waters (1913-1983), was a legendary American blues singer and musician. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of modern blues music and has had a lasting impact on various genres of popular music.
While the name Mckinley is not commonly used as a given name today, it holds historical significance and has been associated with notable individuals across various fields, reflecting its Scottish origins and the influence of prominent figures who bore this name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mckinley over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Mckinley in England and Wales, from 2001 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mckinley, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mckinley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mckinley 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 | #3391 | 18 | 3 |
| 2010s | #2689 | 55 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3118 | 27 | 6 |
Geography
Where Mckinley is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mckinley. 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.
Mckinley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #599 in 2020.
Across the UK
Mckinley in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#599 in 2020
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Mckinley
- 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
Mckinley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mckinley in the UK right now?
In 2023, Mckinley was ranked #4107 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Mckinley most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 11 babies registered as Mckinley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mckinley?
From a Scottish surname meaning "son of the handsome lad.".
How many people are called Mckinley in the UK?
A total of 100 babies have been registered as Mckinley across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.
Where is Mckinley most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mckinley ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #599 in 2020. 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.