NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckenzie

Son of Kenneth, an anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic "MacCoinneach" or "MacCoinnich."

In the 1881 census there were 26,166 people recorded with the Mckenzie surname, ranking it #123 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 20,745, ranked #289, down from #123 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gairloch, Govan Combination and Inverness and Bona. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Burghead, Roseisle and Laich, Carntyne West and Haghill and Parkhead West and Barrowfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckenzie is 26,166 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 20.7%.

1881 census count

26,166

Ranked #123

Modern count

20,745

2016, ranked #289

Peak year

1881

26,166 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckenzie had 26,166 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #123 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 20,745 in 2016, ranked #289.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 26,166 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mckenzie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckenzie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckenzie 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 20,873 #101
1861 historical 20,722 #101
1881 historical 26,166 #123
1891 historical 25,339 #137
1901 historical 25,056 #182
1911 historical 4,352 #1,190
1997 modern 18,143 #321
1998 modern 18,648 #325
1999 modern 18,955 #322
2000 modern 18,908 #320
2001 modern 18,408 #321
2002 modern 18,920 #317
2003 modern 18,582 #314
2004 modern 18,648 #312
2005 modern 18,686 #304
2006 modern 18,867 #303
2007 modern 19,139 #301
2008 modern 19,366 #299
2009 modern 20,011 #297
2010 modern 20,685 #293
2011 modern 20,167 #297
2012 modern 19,873 #294
2013 modern 20,322 #294
2014 modern 20,652 #292
2015 modern 20,579 #290
2016 modern 20,745 #289

Geography

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Where Mckenzies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gairloch, Govan Combination, Inverness and Bona, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Burghead, Roseisle and Laich, Carntyne West and Haghill, Parkhead West and Barrowfield, The Glens and Hilltown. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Gairloch Ross And Cromarty
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Inverness and Bona Inverness
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Burghead, Roseisle and Laich Moray
2 Carntyne West and Haghill Glasgow City
3 Parkhead West and Barrowfield Glasgow City
4 The Glens Dundee City
5 Hilltown Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckenzie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckenzie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mckenzie, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Mckenzie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mckenzie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mckenzie is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mckenzie is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mckenzie 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 Mckenzie 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Mckenzie

The surname McKenzie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is a territorial name derived from the district of Kintail in the western Highlands, which was the ancestral home of the Clan Mackenzie. The name is believed to come from the Gaelic 'Mac Coinnich', meaning 'son of the handsome lad'.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in 1263, when Coinneach Maccoinnich is mentioned in a charter granted by the Earl of Ross. The clan's progenitor, Gilleoin of the Aird, is said to have lived in the late 12th century and was the founder of the Mackenzie dynasty.

One of the most notable figures in the Clan Mackenzie's history was Kenneth Mackenzie, 6th Earl of Seaforth (1611-1678), who played a significant role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Kenneth Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Seaforth (c. 1570-1633), was also a prominent figure and was granted the Earldom of Seaforth in 1623.

The name McKenzie has been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Kintail and Gairloch, where the clan held significant landholdings. The variants 'Mackenzie' and 'MacKenzie' are also common spellings of the surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname McKenzie include Sir Alexander McKenzie (1767-1820), a Scottish-Canadian explorer who completed the first recorded transcontinental crossing of North America, and Sir William McKenzie (1842-1917), a Canadian railway contractor and businessman who co-founded the Canadian Northern Railway.

Henry McKenzie (1808-1892) was a British novelist and essayist, known for his works such as 'The Man of Feeling' and 'The Man of the World'. William Lyon McKenzie (1795-1861) was a Scottish-Canadian journalist, politician, and leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckenzie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckenzie 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. Lancashire leads with 126 Mckenzies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 126 1.09x
Middlesex 124 1.27x
Northumberland 100 6.88x
Yorkshire 79 0.82x
Cumberland 74 8.80x
Durham 62 2.13x
Warwickshire 53 2.15x
Surrey 46 0.97x
Hampshire 26 1.30x
Kent 26 0.78x
Angus 22 2.43x
Essex 22 1.14x
Midlothian 19 1.45x
Ross-shire 18 6.71x
Lanarkshire 17 0.54x
Aberdeenshire 16 1.77x
Glamorgan 16 0.94x
Staffordshire 12 0.36x
Devon 11 0.54x
Renfrewshire 11 1.45x
Gloucestershire 9 0.47x
Hertfordshire 9 1.34x
Norfolk 9 0.60x
Royal Navy 9 7.73x
Sussex 8 0.49x
Cornwall 7 0.63x
Stirlingshire 6 1.67x
Sutherland 6 7.99x
Berkshire 5 0.68x
Cheshire 5 0.23x
Inverness-shire 5 1.71x
Caithness 4 2.99x
Oxfordshire 4 0.66x
Argyllshire 3 1.10x
Ayrshire 3 0.41x
Channel Islands 3 1.04x
Denbighshire 3 0.81x
Dorset 3 0.47x
Perthshire 3 0.68x
Bedfordshire 2 0.40x
Derbyshire 2 0.13x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.64x
Worcestershire 2 0.16x
Banffshire 1 0.49x
Flintshire 1 0.38x
Isle of Man 1 0.55x
Kincardineshire 1 0.84x
Leicestershire 1 0.09x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Northamptonshire 1 0.11x
Shropshire 1 0.12x
Westmorland 1 0.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 29 Mckenzies recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.53x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 29 3.53x
Aston 24 3.54x
Bishopwearmouth 22 8.82x
Hackney London 18 3.29x
Kirkdale 18 9.24x
Poplar London 18 9.77x
Caldewgate 17 36.91x
Lambeth 17 2.00x
Preston Quarter 15 63.67x
Scarborough 15 17.06x
Elswick 14 12.07x
Everton 14 3.79x
Liverpool 14 1.99x
Portsea 14 3.57x
Byker 13 18.10x
Leeds 13 2.38x
West Derby 13 3.84x
Islington London 12 1.27x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 12 13.83x
Dawdon 11 30.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 1.90x
Wallsend 10 21.71x
West Ham 10 2.35x
Coyty Lower 9 81.52x
Dearham 9 81.15x
Pendleton In Salford 9 6.52x
Peterhead 9 18.82x
Stafford St Mary 9 19.29x
Aldershot 8 11.93x
Canterbury St Paul 8 133.78x
Lochbroom 8 57.14x
St Pancras London 8 1.02x
Toxteth Park 8 2.04x
West Greenock 8 5.89x
Whitehaven 8 17.85x
Aberdeen Old Machar 7 3.71x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.65x
Bootle Cum Linacre 7 7.61x
Cowpen 7 20.93x
Dagenham 7 61.03x
Fulham London 7 4.94x
Southwick 7 25.45x
St Cuthbert W O 7 17.08x
St George Hanover 7 5.49x
Brechin 6 16.88x
Cardiff St Mary 6 6.41x
Chirton 6 18.25x
Falkirk 6 7.12x
Gairloch 6 38.81x
Kensington London 6 1.11x
Kirknewton 6 159.57x
Lairg 6 131.29x
Longbenton 6 9.75x
Normanton 6 20.63x
Plymouth Charles The 6 6.70x
Preston In Tynemouth 6 105.08x
Rotherhithe 6 4.97x
St Andrew Holborn 6 18.13x
Wetheral 6 53.91x
Accrington 5 4.75x
Alnham 5 1136.36x
Arthuret 5 57.01x
Bristol St Paul In 5 9.80x
Callington 5 77.64x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 2.54x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 3.97x
Hulme 5 2.07x
Kirkham 5 32.64x
Mile End Old Town 5 3.24x
Old Monkland 5 3.99x
St Marylebone London 5 0.96x
Tynemouth 5 6.43x
Westgate 5 5.56x
Barrow In Furness 4 2.54x
Enfield 4 6.24x
Great Yarmouth 4 3.22x
Halifax 4 2.82x
Monifieth 4 12.52x
Newington 4 1.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 73
Margaret 30
Elizabeth 28
Jane 22
Ann 20
Annie 16
Agnes 12
Jessie 12
Eliza 11
Ellen 11
Emma 10
Sarah 10
Ada 9
Alice 9
Catherine 9
Isabella 7
Emily 6
Anne 5
Hannah 5
Harriet 5
Kate 5
Martha 5
Edith 4
Frances 4
Helen 4
Janet 4
Louisa 4
Barbara 3
Charlotte 3
Christina 3
Clara 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Euphemia 3
Florence 3
Julia 3
May 3
Susannah 3
Alexandrina 2
Bridget 2
Caroline 2
Eliz. 2
Georgina 2
Margeret 2
Margret 2
Priscilla 2
Rebecca 2
Bathia 1
Eilen 1
Eleanor 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 58
William 54
James 31
Robert 25
Alexander 22
Thomas 21
George 18
Donald 17
Charles 13
Daniel 8
Henry 7
Joseph 7
Hugh 6
Andrew 5
David 5
Frank 5
Peter 5
Arthur 4
Frederick 4
Kenneth 4
Adam 3
Duncan 3
Edward 3
Geo. 3
Jno. 3
Matthew 3
Norman 3
Roderick 3
Samuel 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Angus 2
Colin 2
Johnathan 2
Jonathan 2
Laurence 2
Richard 2
Robt. 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Alan 1
Alex. 1
Allen 1
Archd. 1
E.G. 1
Farquar 1
Fimlay 1
Forrester 1
Isaac 1

FAQ

Mckenzie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckenzie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 26,166 people were recorded with the Mckenzie surname. That placed it at #123 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckenzie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 20,745 in 2016. That gives Mckenzie a modern rank of #289.

What does the Mckenzie surname mean?

Son of Kenneth, an anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic "MacCoinneach" or "MacCoinnich."

What does the Mckenzie map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mckenzie 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.