McKinzie
A surname of Scottish and Irish Gaelic origin, usually meaning “son of Kinzie” or related to a descendant of a Kenneth/Coinneach form.
The #8,414 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 78,581 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McKinzie is a spelling variant in the Mac/Mc surname group, where Mc means “son of.” The second element is generally taken as a reduced or altered form of the Gaelic personal name Coinneach or of a related Kenned y/Kenneth-type name, though the exact pathway can vary by family line and spelling tradition. In plain terms, it is usually understood as “son of Kinzie/Kenzie,” with Kinzie itself ultimately linked to a Gaelic given name.
History
The surname is associated especially with Scottish Highland and Ulster-Scots naming traditions, and it later spread in English-speaking countries through migration. In North America, spellings such as McKinzie, McKenzie, and Mackenzie often became fixed in different branches of the same broader name tradition. Because many surnames in this group were Anglicized in multiple ways, individual family histories can differ even when the modern spellings look similar.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
McKenzie and McKinzie are often treated as spelling cousins rather than completely separate surnames, and older records can show the same family under several forms.