MACKEY
Recorded variant spellings include Mac Key, Mackey
MacKey is a surname that traces its origins to the Gaelic-speaking peoples of the British Isles, particularly to Ireland and Scotland. The name is a patronymic form, derived from the Gaelic element Mac meaning “son of”, attached to the personal name Aodh.
The personal name Aodh translates literally as "fire" or "fiery". Historically it was the name of a pre-Christian deity associated with flame, but in the Christianised context of the medieval kingdoms it came to be a popular given name. A descendant bearing the surname MacKey would therefore be understood as a “son of Aodh”, signalling a familial connection to a forebear noted for a passionate or spirited character.
In its original Gaelic, the surname appears as Mac Aodh. The spelling has varied over the centuries, giving rise to at least fifteen Anglicised forms, such as McKay, McKee, McCay, McCoy, McEa and McAy. The particular spelling MacKee is still common in the North East of Ulster, especially within the counties Antrim, Down and Armagh, while the stripped‑down form Ke occurs most frequently in County Donegal.
Historical records attest to the long presence of the name across the Irish Sea. The earliest known document referencing a family of this type is the entry “Cucail Mac Aedha” dated in the year 1098, preserved in the compilation Manx Names by Moore. The record refers to the reign of Cathal Craobhdhearg, who served as High King of Ireland from 1198 to 1224, placing the name well before the onset of the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century.
During the Plantation period, a Sir Patrick MacKee is recorded as a notable servitor in County Donegal, indicating active participation in the colonisation of Ulster. The family's presence continued into the 19th century, illustrated by the marriage of Robert Kee and Anne Jane Wilson in Raphoe, County Donegal, on the 24th April 1845. Two years later, James Kee, a famine emigrant, departed from Belfast aboard the “Pontiac”, bound for New York City on the 17th May 1847.
In Scotland, individuals bearing the name also appear in historical documents. A George McKe of Myretoun was noted in the Register of the Privy Seal in 1538, demonstrating the name’s usage on the mainland.
Consequently, the surname MacKey encapsulates a lineage that links its bearers to ancient Gaelic culture, the fiery symbolism of the name Aodh, and a documented history spanning from the early medieval period through the modern age across both Ireland and Scotland.
Typical given names associated with the MacKey surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Elizabeth
- Hazel
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Jill
- Joanne
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Norma
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- MacKay
- McKay
- MacKie
- Mack
- Macke
- Macey
- Mackei
- Mackee
- Macay
- Maccoy
- Maciey
- Mackaay
- Mackae
- Mackew
- Macki
- Mackiee
- Mackine
- Mackinney
- Mackis
- Mackisey
- Mackoy
- Macks
- Macksey
- Macky
- Macoy
- Macque
- Magahy
- Magay
- Magaya
- Maggay
- Maghey
- Makay
- Makaya
- Makey
- Makiya
- Makky
- Maky
- Mauguy
- Maukey
- Maxcey
- Mcay
- Mccay
- Mccoey
- Mccooey
- Mccoy
- Mcgay
- Mcgoey
- Mcguy
- Mckaye
- Mckeay
- Mckey
- Mckie
- Mckoy
- Mcky
- Mckye
- Mcoy
- Mcquay
- Mcquie
- Mecoy
- Meekey
- Megahy
- Meggy
- Mekey
- Mekkawy
- Mgaya
- Mickay
- Mickey
- Migoya
- Mkay
- Moggy
- Moigay
- Mokaya
- Mucahy
- Muckey
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname MacKey in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 2,419 people named MacKey in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,600th most common surname in Britain. Around 37 in a million people in Britain are named MacKey.
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named MacKey
- Emma Margaret Tachard-Mackey - French-British actress and model
- Steve Mackey - Musician
- Percival Mackey - Composer (1894 to 1950)
- Jim Mackey - Football player (1897 to 1)
- Ben Mackey - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.