Given name & surname
McKenna
“the son of Kenna; to ascend”
McKenna is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “the son of Kenna; to ascend.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “the son of Kenna; to ascend.”
Where it comes from
McKenna comes from Irish, and ultimately from Scottish Gaelic.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1972. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
McKenna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 44,491
- 183 boys · 44,308 girls
- Most popular year
- 2002
- 1,804 babies
- 2025
- 758
- #410 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −23%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 758 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 410 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 23.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,795 in 2002. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (54). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 37,053 as a first name in 2020; 26,305 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
McKenna’s family of names
In English usage, McKenna has a related form in Makenna. McKenna has a related form in Mackenna. McKenna has a related form in McKennan.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named McKenna
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love McKenna, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Brianna
“from the high hill; one who ascends”
>99% girls
McKayla
“a fiery woman”
>99% girls
Keira
“little dark-haired one” · “having dark features; the little dark one”
>99% girls
Kiana
“from an ancient family” · “of an ancient family”
>99% girls
Kiera
“little dark-haired one” · “having dark features; the little dark one”
>99% girls
Cassidy
“curly-haired girl” · “a clever man”
7% boys · 93% girls
Mckell
“son of the lad”
3% boys · 97% girls
Mckinzie
McKinzie is a surname from Scottish Gaelic.
>99% girls