Mackey
Mackey is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Aoidh meaning 'son of Aodh', a variant of the Scottish and Irish McKay. In Ireland the name is also derived from to Ó Macdha 'descendant of Macdha', a given name meaning 'virile, manly', and may be anglicised as such.
Meaning & Origin of Mackey
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Mackey is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Aoidh meaning 'son of Aodh', a variant of the Scottish and Irish McKay. In Ireland the name is also derived from to Ó Macdha 'descendant of Macdha', a given name meaning 'virile, manly', and may be anglicised as such.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Mackey
Mackey first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1919, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1950, when 24 Mackeys were born — ranking #1,500 that year. As of 2026, Mackey ranks #8,287 for baby boys with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 607 Mackeys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Mackey
Phonetically similar names — useful when Mackey is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mackey
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About the name Mackey
Mackey is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1919 and has accumulated 607 births in the dataset. Mackey's peak popularity came in 1950 when it ranked #1,500. Use the chart and map above to compare Mackey's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1950 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.