Makenzie is a modern, gender-neutral name of American origin. It gained popularity in the late 20th century and has since become quite common in English-speaking countries.
The name Makenzie is derived from the Scottish surname MacKenzie, which means "son of Kenneth." Kenneth itself means "handsome" or "winning hero," so Makenzie can be interpreted as meaning "son of handsome" or "son of winning hero."
The MacKenzie clan was a powerful Highland Scottish family, and their name is believed to have originated from the 13th-century chief of the clan, Kenneth 'Mor' (Big Kenneth) MacKenzie. The clan's influence extended beyond Scotland, with many of its members migrating to Canada and other parts of the world.
The use of Makenzie as a given name appears to have started in the United States during the late 1970s or early 1980s. It may have been influenced by popular culture, such as the TV show "M*A*S*H," which featured a character named Maxwell Klinger, whose nickname was sometimes shortened to "Kenzie." Alternatively, it could be attributed to the growing trend of using surnames as given names during this period.
Today, Makenzie is typically used for girls but can still be considered gender-neutral. It has been popular in recent years, with its peak popularity occurring around 2013-2015 when it was among the top 200 most popular names for newborn girls in the United States.
Based on the statistics provided, we can observe a significant trend for the name Makenzie in the United States over time.
From 1975 to around the mid-1980s, there was a gradual increase in the number of babies named Makenzie each year. However, it wasn't until the early 1990s that this name began to gain substantial popularity. Between 1991 and 2002, there was a sharp rise in births registered with the name Makenzie, reaching a peak of over 1600 births per year.
The years between 2003 and 2014 continued this trend, although at a slower pace. During this period, the number of babies named Makenzie remained high, averaging around 1700 to 2000 births per year.
After 2015, there was a noticeable decline in the popularity of the name Makenzie. From a peak of approximately 2000 births per year between 2012 and 2014, the number of babies named Makenzie dropped to around 900 births per year by 2022.
In total, based on the data provided, there have been 44,135 babies named Makenzie born in the United States since 1975. This demonstrates that while Makenzie was once a highly popular name, its popularity has decreased over time and continues to do so.