NameCensus.

UK surname

Mckinna

A Scottish surname meaning "son of Finnan" from an Old Gaelic personal name.

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Mckinna surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 226, ranked #18,044, down from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, Govan Combination and Kirkinner. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Crookfur and Fruin and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mckinna is 233 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 62.6%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

226

2016, ranked #18,044

Peak year

1891

233 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mckinna had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016, ranked #18,044.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 233 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mckinna surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mckinna surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mckinna 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 151 #12,840
1861 historical 180 #13,057
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 233 #13,392
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 195 #17,912
1998 modern 197 #18,283
1999 modern 201 #18,179
2000 modern 208 #17,772
2001 modern 208 #17,513
2002 modern 214 #17,545
2003 modern 217 #17,176
2004 modern 221 #17,066
2005 modern 217 #17,217
2006 modern 226 #16,891
2007 modern 216 #17,575
2008 modern 218 #17,638
2009 modern 222 #17,797
2010 modern 232 #17,657
2011 modern 230 #17,578
2012 modern 227 #17,630
2013 modern 227 #17,922
2014 modern 229 #17,925
2015 modern 229 #17,846
2016 modern 226 #18,044

Geography

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Where Mckinnas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, Govan Combination, Kirkinner, Girthon and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Crookfur and Fruin, Kirklees, Renfrew West and Annan East. 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 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Kirkinner Wigtown
4 Girthon Kirkcudbright
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire
2 Crookfur and Fruin East Renfrewshire
3 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
4 Renfrew West Renfrewshire
5 Annan East Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mckinna

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mckinna

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mckinna, 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 Mckinna surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mckinna 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Mckinna is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Mckinna is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mckinna falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mckinna 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 Mckinna, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mckinna

The surname MCKINNA is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Mac Ionnaidh," which means "son of Ionnadh." The name Ionnadh itself is a variation of the name "Aonghus," meaning "one strength" or "one choice." The name likely emerged in the 12th or 13th century in the Scottish Highlands.

The earliest recorded mention of the name MCKINNA can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where it appears as "MacKynnach." This spelling variation suggests that the name was likely pronounced differently in various regions of Scotland during that period.

In the 16th century, the name MCKINNA was prevalent in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire, where several families bearing this surname owned lands and properties. One notable figure from this time was Donald McKinna, a prominent landowner in Argyll who was involved in the clan conflicts of the Scottish Highlands in the late 1500s.

As the centuries passed, the MCKINNA name spread across Scotland and beyond, with some families migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to North America and other parts of the world. One notable bearer of this name was Robert McKinna (1798-1874), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.

Another historical figure with the MCKINNA surname was James McKinna (1810-1878), a Scottish-born American civil engineer who was involved in the construction of several important railway lines in the United States, including the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

In the 19th century, the MCKINNA name was also found in Ireland, likely due to Scottish migration and settlement in certain regions of the island. One notable Irish bearer of this surname was John McKinna (1835-1902), a Catholic priest and writer who served as the Bishop of Cloyne from 1887 until his death.

Throughout history, the MCKINNA surname has been spelled in various ways, including McKinnah, McKinney, and McKenney, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mckinna families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mckinna 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 8 Mckinnas recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.35x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 8 10.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Armley in Yorkshire leads with 4 Mckinnas recorded in 1881 and an index of 1176.47x.

Place Total Index
Armley 4 1176.47x
Holy Trinity 4 215.05x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 3
David 1
James 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 Mckinna households.

FAQ

Mckinna surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mckinna surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Mckinna surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mckinna surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 226 in 2016. That gives Mckinna a modern rank of #18,044.

What does the Mckinna surname mean?

A Scottish surname meaning "son of Finnan" from an Old Gaelic personal name.

What does the Mckinna map show?

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