MCKENZE: Pronounced Mackaingye, Gaelic MacCoinnich or MacC(h)oinnich, 'son of Coinneach.' in Adamnan the name is Cainnechus, which is an adjective from the root cann, 'fair, bright.' The English form of the name is interesting as preserving the mediaeval Gaelic pronunciation of the genitive, which in early Irish is Cainnigh, pronounced 'cainny.' Makbeth Makkyneth was present at pleas held at Dull in Angus, 1264 (RPSA., p. 349). Kenzocht (z here = gutteral y) M'Kenzocht of Kintail is recorded in 149 (SCM., IV, p. 191; Beauly, p. 307), and Canoth Makcanehe and Kanoth Makkanehy in 1499 (Rose), perhaps the same person. Ewin Makkenye was 'sone and air' to Kenyeoch Maksorle in the Black Isle, 1500 (ibid., p. 169), and Alan McConze was tenant of Culcowe, Ardmanoch, 1504 (ER., XII, p. 662). Donald M'Kenye and Sorle M'Kenye took part in the second hership of Petty, 1513 (Rose, p. 190). Gilcrist Makkingze in Wigtownshire was charged with forethought felony, 1513 (Trials, I, p. 93). Kannich oig McKannych Vc ane reoch was fiar of Calzenuchane, 1581 (Poltalloch Writs, p. 72), and Johannes McKenzie, apparent of Apilcroce, had a charter of the lands of Kildin with the mill in 1606 (RD., p. 498). Makcainze 1570, Makcanze 1571, M'Canzeoch 1551, M'Cenzie 1560, MkEnzi 1678, M'Einzie 1566, MacEnzie 1549, McHinzie, McHingzie, M'Hunzie, and McKinzie all 1684, M'Kainzie and M'Kenzoch 1586, McKanye 1590, McKanyee 1629, M'Kanze 1544, Mackeanche and Makkanehy 1499, M'Keanzie 1662, Makeinny 1629, Makeinzie 1597, McKenyee 1642, McKenyie 1650, Makenze 1528, Makkangze and McKangzie 1569, Makkanze 1573, Makkeeinzey 1649, M'Kenezie and M'Keinezie 1620, M'Keinzie 1633, M'Kenich 1532, Makkeny 1663, Makkenych 1567, Makkennych 1545, Makkenze 1509, M'Kenzocht 1546, McKenzy 1721, M'Kinze 1530, Makkinze 1513, M'Kynich 1718. The adventures of Donald Mackenzie (c. 1783-1851), fur-trader and governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, are recorded in Washington Irving's Astoria. "He weighed over 300 pounds, but was so active that he was called "perpetual motion."

(Scottish) The son of Coinneach (fair, bright).

'The son of Keneth,' The family boast of their descent from the great Anglo-Norman race of Fitz-Gerald in Ireland in the XII. cent.; but Skene says they are of unquestionably Gaelic origin.

The son of Kenneth, which signifies a chieftain. The family are descended from Colin Fitzgerald, a scion of the Kildare family in Ireland, who in 1263 came to Scotland to assist Alexander III. against the Danes, and he behaved so well at the battle of Largis in Coningham, that he was in 1266 rewarded with the Barony of Kintail, in which he was succeeded by his son Kenneth, whose descendants were called Mackennie, afterwards varied into MacKenzie.

The surname Mackenzie is of Scots origin and comes from the Scots Gaelic MacCoinnich, which means ‘son of Coinneach’. This obsolete first name derives indirectly from the Gaelic word ‘cann’ meaning ‘fair, bright or comely’. Thus, this first name originated as a nickname, describing the appearance or personality of the original holder. (The equivalent Irish Gaelic roots of this word may in some rare cases have given rise to the Irish name Kenny-though this is certainly not the main derivation.) Mention of the name Mackenzie goes back as far as 1264, when one Makbeth Makkyneth attended the pleas held at Dull in Angus during 1264. This name may seem a long way from the Mackenzie we know, but being originally a Gaelic name, Mackenzie (or MacCoinnich) was translated into English when it was written down in the records. Because Gaelic and English are by no means parallel in pronunciation, this led to a large number of different spellings in the records. These range from M’Hunzie (1684) to M’Kenzoch (1586) and Makkunze (1513). Most of these variants have now died out, so that the name is almost invariably spelt Mackenzie-an unusual uniformity in a Gaelic-derived Scottish name.

Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie (1883—1972), with over 100 novels and plays to his credit, is well known as one of Scotland’s (and indeed Britain’s) most prolific writers, with an output that topped one work per annum. What is less well known is that he was one of the founders of the Scottish Nationalist Party.

British missionary John Mackenzie (1835—99) was a dedicated champion of the rights of native Africans in nineteenth-century South Africa, and was instrumental in the British Government’s move to set up Bechuanaland as a protectorate to combat Boer racialism.

The polygraph machine, popularly known as the ‘lie detector’, was the brainchild of British physician Sir James Mackenzie. When used in police work, the assumption is that a guilty suspect’s respiration, blood pressure and pulse rate will increase due to nervousness when he lies.

Mackenzies have made a name for themselves in distant lands. Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1755—1820) traced the course of the 1,100-mile Canadian river which now bears his name to its delta the Arctic Ocean, the first known trans­continental crossing of North America above Mexico. Bishop Charles Frederick Mackenzie (1825—62) headed the Church’s mission in the Zambezi River region of Central Africa and scandalised settlers by insisting that black converts had equal rights in all church affairs.

Canada’s first Liberal Prime Minister was Alexander Mackenzie. After emigrating from Perth he swiftly rose to his new homeland’s highest political office, holding the post from 1873—78. He refused a knighthood three times.

There are no towns, cities or major geographic features related to this name in the United Kingdom. Canada has 2 towns named Mackenzie, 2 McKenzie lakes, Mackenzie mountains and the famed Mackenzie river. The United States has 3 towns named McKenzie and a McKenzie river. New Zealand has the Mackenzie Plains while Australia has a river called Mackenzie.

With about 26,000 namesakes Mackenzie and McKenzie form Scotland’s 15th most popular surname. Thus one out of every 200 Scots is so named. (The name is not common enough throughout England and Wales to be counted separately.) This surname is notably popular in and around Edinburgh, where an estimated one in about 223 families bears the name, and in Glasgow where the figure is about one in 228. Around the world this surname is most common in Vancouver (one in 563 families), Wellington (one in 673), Auckland (one in 677) and Melbourne (one in 767). The United States has 11,000 Mackenzies and 41,000 McKenzies-in combination making this their 575th most popular surname.