2000
#7,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,003
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Mackinnon
A Scottish surname referring to the son of Fingon or Cináed, both meaning "fair born" or "born of fire."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,728 Americans carry the last name Mackinnon. That puts it at #7,735 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mackinnon surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mackinnon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,495
Census rank
#7,735
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,123 bearers of the surname Mackinnon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7735th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mackinnon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mackinnon
The surname MacKinnon originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 13th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Ionmhuinn," which translates to "son of the beloved one." It is believed that the MacKinnons were originally a branch of the larger Clan Donald, one of the most prominent clans in the Scottish Highlands.
The MacKinnons were historically centered in the Hebrides, an archipelago off the western coast of Scotland. They held lands on the islands of Mull, Iona, and Skye, as well as in the mainland region of Kintyre. The name is thought to have first appeared in written records around 1292, when a Gillecalum M'Cenychin is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland.
One of the earliest notable figures associated with the MacKinnon name was John MacKinnon, who lived in the late 14th century and served as the Chief of the Clan MacKinnon. He is recorded as having been present at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411, which was a significant conflict between the forces of the Duke of Albany and the Earl of Mar.
Another prominent MacKinnon was Lachlan Mor MacKinnon, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a respected clan chief and is credited with establishing the MacKinnon seat at Kilmorie on the Isle of Skye. Lachlan Mor was also involved in the political and military affairs of the time, supporting the Royalist cause during the Scottish Civil War.
In the 18th century, Daniel MacKinnon (1722-1797) was a notable figure who served as a captain in the British Royal Navy. He participated in several significant naval battles during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership.
Perhaps the most famous bearer of the MacKinnon name was Sir William Alexander Mackinnon (1832-1897), a Scottish businessman and politician. He co-founded the British India Steam Navigation Company and was instrumental in the development of trade and transportation routes between Britain and its colonies. Mackinnon was also a member of the British Parliament and was knighted for his contributions to the British Empire.
Throughout history, the MacKinnon surname has been spelled in various ways, including MacKinnon, MacKynnon, MacKinon, and MacKinnen, among others. This diversity in spelling reflects the evolution of the name over time and its adaptation to different regions and dialects within Scotland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mackinnon
Among Census respondents with the surname Mackinnon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mackinnon bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mackinnon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 3,737
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 159
- Two or more races3.2% · 130
- Black or African American1.0% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mackinnon
Mackinnon appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,882
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,199
+196 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 218 places
2020
#7,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,123
-76 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,664 | 4,003 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,882 | 4,199 | 1.42 | +196 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 218 places |
| 2020 | #7,735 | 4,123 | 1.38 | -76 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 147 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mackinnon surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,882 | #7,735 | 1.9% |
| Count | 4,199 | 4,123 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.42 | 1.38 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mackinnon bearers went from 4,199 to 4,123 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 147 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,882 to #7,735.
FAQ
Mackinnon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mackinnon?
Name Census estimates that about 4,728 living Americans carry the surname Mackinnon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,495 residents.
How common is Mackinnon?
Mackinnon ranks #7,735 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,123 people with the surname Mackinnon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,728), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mackinnon.
Has Mackinnon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mackinnon went from 4,199 recorded bearers to 4,123. That is a decrease of 76 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,882 to #7,735.
What does the Census say about the background of Mackinnon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mackinnon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mackinnon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (3,737 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mackinnon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mackinnon (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mackinnon mean?
A Scottish surname referring to the son of Fingon or Cináed, both meaning "fair born" or "born of fire." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mackinnon (1.38 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Mackinnon?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.