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Mckay Family History

Mckay Surname Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Mckay family from?

You can see how Mckay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mckay family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Mckay families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 426 Mckay families living in Lancashire. This was about 30% of all the recorded Mckay's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Mckay families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mckay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Mckay ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Mckay. 15% of Mckay men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Mckay women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Mckay were Railway Clerk and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Mckay | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Retired
    4%
  • Railway Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Mckay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 514,000 census records available for the last name Mckay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mckay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Mckay

Passenger Lists

There are 213,000 immigration records available for the last name Mckay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Mckay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 61,000 military records available for the last name Mckay. For the veterans among your Mckay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mckay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Mckay family history

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What is the average Mckay lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Mckay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Mckay in 1941 was 70, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mckay

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mckay ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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