Explore the Family Name Mckay
The meaning of Mckay
Scottish and northern Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Aoidh ‘son of Aodh’, an old personal name meaning ‘fire’. Etymologically, this is the same name as McKee, McGee, McCoy, and McHugh. History: This is the surname of several Irish and Scottish families, including Clan Mackay, a Highland clan traditionally associated with Sutherland in the far northwest of Scotland.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Mckay in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname McKay has seen a slight decrease in its rank between 2000 and 2010, moving from 853rd to 895th place, representing a change of -4.92%. Despite the drop in ranking, the actual count of people with the McKay surname increased by 4.69%, from 36,948 in 2000 to 38,681 in 2010. The proportion of people named McKay per 100,000 decreased by 4.31%, from 13.7 in 2000 to 13.11 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #853 | #895 | -4.92% |
| Count | 36,948 | 38,681 | 4.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.7 | 13.11 | -4.31% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mckay
In regards to ethnicity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there have been some shifts within the McKay surname bearers' ethnic identities over the decade. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic saw increases of 34.62% and 46.63% respectively, while the proportion identifying as part of two or more races also increased by 29.27%. On the other hand, the percentage of McKay’s identifying as white decreased by 2.59%. Those identifying as Black or African American had a slight increase of 4.71%, while the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native rose by 8.11%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.16% | 80.03% | -2.59% |
| Black | 12.95% | 13.56% | 4.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.63% | 2.39% | 46.63% |
| Two or More Races | 1.64% | 2.12% | 29.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.11% | 1.2% | 8.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.7% | 34.62% |
Mckay ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Mckay is British & Irish, which comprises 57.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.2%) and Eastern European (4.6%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.2% |
| French & German | 18.2% |
| Eastern European | 4.6% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Mckay
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Mckay have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
What Mckay haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Mckay is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M467 and R-L1066.1, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ward, Reed, Mccoy, Clarke, Martin, Green, Wilson, White, Dawson, Thomson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Mckay surname are: T2b, H, H1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Mckay have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Mckay" Surname 45.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Mckay" Surname 25.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Mckay" Surname 21.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Mckay" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Mckay?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Mckay are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition