MCKIM
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Kim, Mckim
McKim is a Scottish surname with deep roots in the Gaelic speaking traditions of the British Isles. The name is traditionally understood to be a patronymic, indicating descent from a male ancestor named Simon, a name of Hebrew origin that translates as he has heard.
In the early Middle Ages, the name Mac Shim – literally son of Simon – appeared in the Scottish Lowlands and the Galloway region. Over time, the phonetic rendering of this Gaelic patronymic gave rise to several orthographic variants, including Mackim, MacKimm, McKim, McKimm, and the double diminutives MacKimmie and Macimmey. Each spelling variation reflects the regional pronunciation and the scribes’ attempts to capture the sound of the name on parchment.
Records from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries provide evidence of the surname’s existence within Scotland. The earliest extant document cites an Ewin Makymme of Bute in 1506, when he was granted hereditary rights by King James the First. Subsequent mentions include Ranald McKym of Cullychmoir in 1539 and Johannes Mak Kymmy of Murthlac in 1550, underscoring the name’s established presence in the country during that era.
Alongside the Simon-derived interpretation, another hypothesis links McKim to the Gaelic Mac Cionaodha, meaning son of Cionaodh. In this construction, Cionaodh combines the elements cion (love) and Aodh (a pagan deity), offering an alternate meaning of “son of the beloved one” or “son of Aodh”. While this alternative origin is recognised, the prevailing scholarly consensus favours the Simon derivation due to earlier documentary evidence.
During the 11th and 12th centuries, the influx of biblical and Greek names following the Crusades impacted naming practices across Europe. In Scotland, this influence was reflected in the increased use of the saint’s name Simon for children of returning soldiers and pilgrims. By the 14th century, such biblical names had proliferated so widely that they began to be fixed as surnames, a trend observable in the early McKim forms recorded in the sources.
Beyond Scotland, the surname found a foothold in other parts of the British Isles, most notably in Northern Ireland. The migration of Scottish settlers during the plantation period introduced the name to that region, where it has remained relatively common to the present day. Contemporary bearers of the surname are also found in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, a distribution that mirrors the broader diaspora of people with Scottish heritage.
Today, McKim retains a distinct association with Scottish culture and genealogical tradition. Its patronymic structure, early documentary attestations, and the variety of spellings that have surfaced over centuries contribute to its standing as a surname rich in historical significance and linguistic heritage.
Typical given names associated with the McKim surname
Male
- Andrew
- Daniel
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Steven
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Agnes
- Anne
- Catherine
- Diane
- Elizabeth
- Grace
- Gwendoline
- Julie
- Laura
- Margaret
- Natasha
- Sally
- Sarah
- Sharon
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McKim in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 419 people named McKim in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named McKim.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named McKim
- Nick McKim - Australian politician
- Johnny McKim - Scottish football player (1926 to 1)
- Bill McKim -
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.