NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckenny

An Americanized form of an Irish surname derived from mac Cionaoith meaning "son of a descendant of Cionaoth".

In the 1881 census there were 217 people recorded with the Mckenny surname, ranking it #12,188 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 248, ranked #16,910, down from #12,188 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Silkstone and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, St Edmundsbury and North Tyneside.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckenny is 260 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.3%.

1881 census count

217

Ranked #12,188

Modern count

248

2016, ranked #16,910

Peak year

2000

260 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckenny had 217 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,188 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 248 in 2016, ranked #16,910.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 217 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mckenny surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mckenny surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mckenny surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckenny over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 129 #14,406
1861 historical 165 #14,112
1881 historical 217 #12,188
1891 historical 206 #14,597
1901 historical 197 #15,272
1911 historical 148 #18,023
1997 modern 252 #15,193
1998 modern 246 #15,864
1999 modern 245 #16,012
2000 modern 260 #15,360
2001 modern 250 #15,527
2002 modern 247 #15,941
2003 modern 252 #15,530
2004 modern 253 #15,583
2005 modern 232 #16,480
2006 modern 241 #16,139
2007 modern 251 #15,861
2008 modern 247 #16,205
2009 modern 257 #16,099
2010 modern 259 #16,386
2011 modern 257 #16,335
2012 modern 255 #16,296
2013 modern 253 #16,642
2014 modern 254 #16,726
2015 modern 251 #16,756
2016 modern 248 #16,910

Geography

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Where Mckennys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Silkstone, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, St Edmundsbury, North Tyneside, Leeds and Bristol. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 012 South Lakeland
2 St Edmundsbury 011 St Edmundsbury
3 North Tyneside 004 North Tyneside
4 Leeds 039 Leeds
5 Bristol 008 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckenny

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mckenny surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckenny

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mckenny, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Mckenny surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mckenny household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mckenny is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mckenny is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mckenny falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mckenny is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mckenny, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mckenny

The surname McKenny has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 13th century. It is a variant of the name McKenzie, which itself is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "coinneach" meaning "fair" or "bright." The earliest recorded spelling of the name was "Makkenyde" in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1263.

The McKenny name is closely associated with the ancient Clan Mackenzie, one of the most powerful and influential clans in the Scottish Highlands. The clan's ancestral lands were centered around the areas of Ross-shire and Inverness-shire. The name was particularly prevalent in these regions, as well as in the neighboring counties of Sutherland and Caithness.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the McKenny name was Sir Reginald Mackenzie, who was granted the lands of Kintail by King Alexander III in 1266. His descendants went on to become the Chiefs of the Clan Mackenzie, and played a significant role in Scottish history over the centuries.

Another notable figure was Sir George Mackenzie, who was born in 1636 and served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1677 to 1686. He was a prominent lawyer and writer, and is considered one of the founders of the Scottish legal system.

In the 17th century, the name McKenny appeared in the records of the Scottish Parliament, with John McKenny being listed as a Commissioner for the Shire of Ross in 1661.

The name also has a connection to place names in Scotland. The village of McKennytown, located in Sutherland, is believed to have been named after a prominent McKenny family that inhabited the area in the 18th century.

Other notable individuals bearing the McKenny surname include William McKenny, a Scottish soldier who fought in the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and James McKenny, a 19th-century Scottish explorer who traveled to Australia and South Africa.

While the McKenny name originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and diaspora, particularly to North America and other English-speaking countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckenny families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckenny surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 10 Mckennys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.96x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 10 2.96x
Cumberland 9 30.63x
Lancashire 9 2.22x
Warwickshire 3 3.49x
Middlesex 2 0.59x
Durham 1 0.99x
Northumberland 1 1.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hunslet in Yorkshire leads with 7 Mckennys recorded in 1881 and an index of 132.83x.

Place Total Index
Hunslet 7 132.83x
Above Derwent 5 4545.45x
Whitehaven 4 254.78x
Coventry Holy Trinity 3 116.73x
Kirkdale 3 44.05x
Manchester 3 16.47x
Ulverston 3 254.24x
Bromley London 2 26.63x
Leeds 2 10.48x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 38.02x
Wakefield 1 38.46x
Whickham 1 107.53x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mckenny surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Annie 2
Catherine 2
Elizabeth 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Ether 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Maria 1
Rose 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mckenny surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 3
John 2
Patrick 2
Thomas 2
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
George 1
Henry 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mckenny households.

FAQ

Mckenny surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckenny surname in 1881?

In 1881, 217 people were recorded with the Mckenny surname. That placed it at #12,188 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckenny surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 248 in 2016. That gives Mckenny a modern rank of #16,910.

What does the Mckenny surname mean?

An Americanized form of an Irish surname derived from mac Cionaoith meaning "son of a descendant of Cionaoth".

What does the Mckenny map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mckenny bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.