| Gender | 🧑 Boy |
| Pronunciation | 📣 \m-ckin-ley, mck(i)-nley\ |
| Number of People | 👶 20,000 |
| Rate in 2021 | 764 |
| Numerology | 🔢 11 |
| Name origin | 🌍 Scottish |
The name McKinley has an interesting meaning and history behind it. Derived from the Gaelic surname Mac Fhionnlaigh, it translates to "son of Finlay" or "fair hero." This name is of Scottish origin and is often associated with strength, bravery, and leadership.
The name McKinley gained significant popularity in the United States due to its association with President William McKinley, who served as the 25th President from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. His presidency marked a period of economic growth and expansion for the country.
Today, the name McKinley continues to be used as a first or last name for both boys and girls. It carries a sense of dignity and honor while also reflecting a connection to Scottish heritage.
Over the centuries, the clan name Mac Fhionnlaigh came in many forms (including McKinley and Finley), due to the high level of illiteracy in medieval times and the multitude of dialects that produced different sounds. The first recorded spelling of this particular surname came in the form of M'Kynlay in late 15th century Scotland. The McKinley and McKinlay surnames also appear in Ireland but were probably brought there by Scottish settlers. In Ireland, some believe that McKinley may be derived from the Irish "Mac a Leagha", a surname that means “son of the doctor”. As a given name, McKinley has a history of use for boys in the United States in honor of the 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, who served from 1897 to 1901. In 21st-century America, however, McKinley became has become a female name.
Popularity
As mentioned above, McKinley began as a masculine given name in the United States dating back to 1890. Not coincidentally, McKinley saw the height of its use between 1896 and 1901, which were the year's President McKinley happened to be in office. McKinley came very close to securing a spot on the Top 100 list of most commonly used boy's names in the country. Pretty impressive really! Unfortunately, our 25th president was assassinated by a disgruntled madman in 1901. His name quickly retreated into the shadows of Teddy Roosevelt, a strong-willed president with a booming personality. McKinley quickly fell off the American radar as a boy's name. He would finally fall off the list altogether in 1967. However, in 2006, American parents discovered this picturesque Gaelic nickname for their baby daughters. In a few short years, McKinley has already risen to low levels of restraint from the female persuasion ensuring the name is exclusively female by today's naming standards. It's doubtful that parents have our 25th president in mind when naming their daughters the baby McKinley, but he follows the hyper-popular trend of surnames as given names. There is also a particular trend to name girls these “McK” type feminine names (think: Mckayla, McKenna, McKenzie). Oh, and here's a little trivia for parents who like to sing the blues. McKinley Morganfield
is the birth name of Muddy Waters, the "father of modern Chicago blues." McKinley has already raised low levels of restraint to the female persuasion to secure the name as exclusively female by today's naming standards. It's doubtful that parents have our 25th president in mind when naming their daughters the baby McKinley, but he follows the hyper-popular trend of surnames as given names. There is also a particular trend to name girls these “McK” type feminine names (think: Mckayla, McKenna, McKenzie). Oh, and here's a little trivia for parents who like to sing the blues. McKinley Morganfield is the birth name of Muddy Waters, the "father of modern Chicago blues." McKinley has already raised low levels of restraint to the female persuasion to secure the name as exclusively female by today's naming standards. It's doubtful that parents have our 25th president in mind when naming their daughters the baby McKinley, but it follows the hyper-popular trend of surnames as given names. There is also a particular trend to name girls these “McK” type female names (think: Mckayla, McKenna, McKenzie). Oh, and here's a little trivia for parents who like to sing the blues. McKinley Morganfield is the birth name of Muddy Waters, the "father of modern Chicago blues." It's doubtful that parents have our 25th president in mind when naming their daughters the baby McKinley, but he follows the hyper-popular trend of surnames as given names. There is also a particular trend to name girls these “McK” type feminine names (think: Mckayla, McKenna, McKenzie). Oh, and here's a little trivia for parents who like to sing the blues. McKinley Morganfield is the birth name of Muddy Waters, the "father of modern Chicago blues." It's doubtful that parents have our 25th president in mind when naming their daughters the baby McKinley, but he follows the hyper-popular trend of surnames as given names. There is also a particular trend to name girls these “McK” type feminine names (think: Mckayla, McKenna, McKenzie). Oh, and here's a little trivia for parents who like to sing the blues. McKinley Morganfield is the birth name of Muddy Waters, the "father of modern Chicago blues." And here's a little trivia for parents who like to sing the blues. McKinley Morganfield is the birth name of Muddy Waters, the "father of modern Chicago blues." And here's a little trivia for parents who like to sing the blues. McKinley Morganfield is the birth name of Muddy Waters, the "father of modern Chicago blues."
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