McKee
An Anglicized Irish and Scottish surname usually understood as meaning “son of Cian” or a similar Gaelic personal name.
The #780 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 6,995 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McKee is a surname of Gaelic origin, with the prefix Mac meaning “son of.” In many cases it is taken from a Gaelic personal name such as Cian, Kee, or a related short form; older writers also connected it with Irish and Scottish names beginning with Mac- and Kee/Kay/Kie. Because several similar Gaelic names overlap in sound and spelling, the surname can have more than one local origin.
History
The name is especially associated with Ireland, particularly Ulster, and also appears in Scotland. In English-language records it often appears in forms such as McKee, MacKee, McKie, and related spellings, reflecting both phonetic spelling and the loss of the original Gaelic forms. It became established in North America through Irish and Scottish migration, which helps explain its relatively strong modern U.S. presence.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is often grouped with a whole family of closely related Gaelic names, so one historical record may hide several different local lineages.
From the historical record
“St. Mary Aldermary (London), p. 132. 1786. Married— John McKee and Eliz. Makepeace, of Waltham Cross, Herts: St Geo. Han. Sq. i. 393. London, i. TyTfl^vin^ Ifakiiusoii, Uakein,”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)