What do you think when you hear this name? I’m interested in the ‘image’ this name portrays (whatever the spelling variation).

Whilst no friends have used this name, I have heard it pop up around the place – over the last 12 years it was ranked around 150th in the USA (and “Mackenzie” was around 40th – 70th but falling). It ranked around 60th in NSW from 2006-2007. I don’t have any more recent data so I can’t tell if it’s gaining or losing popularity.

In my opinion its somewhat quirky, cute, unconventional, and girly without being frilly – more tomboy-ish.

What do others think?

Is it too common? How many do you know (if any)? Is it one of those ‘trendy for a millisecond’ names that will fade away and leave us wondering what we were thinking?

If it’s not your style, can you tell me why? Eg too common, too trendy, too masculine, too “bogan”? What other names do you put it in the same category as?

I’m wondering if other people have a similar opinion of this name – quirky but cute? Unconventional - or do the numbers prove that to be incorrect? Tomboyish but still a girly name?

Given that there are mums with McKenzies/MacKenzies on here, I don’t want it to be any kind of reflection on them – they have great taste IMO

I have a Mackenzie and this is my opinion
Although I personally dislike the McKenzie spelling - I think that just looks like a surname (i know, i know it's the same name, just how I feel)

In our case we were choosing Scottish girls names and this was our immediate favourite, although we didn't decide definitely until we saw her IRL... then I knew she was a strong tom-boyish personality rather than a girly girl iykwim. I love the nicknames too and use all, Kenzie, Kenz, even Macca lol

It was somewhere 40-60th out of the top 100 in Vic the year she was born... I haven't bothered checking if rising or falling in popularity. There was another Mackenzie in the playground on Friday and that's the first one I've come across irl in the last 3 yrs.

BTW, if we do end up moving back to Scotland it's a fairly common boys' name (and Kenzie) so she might cop some teasing which I didn't really consider when she was born but don't think it'll matter too much.

I like it. It's Trendy and fun, without being too over the top.
I prefer it for a middle name tho.

When I see it spelt McKenzie I think of spices. I think Mackenzie spelt this way is ok for a boy or a girl but it's one of the few names I don't definitely see as a boys name or a girls name. I have heard it used slightly more for girls than boys though.

I prefer the Mackenzie spelling, McKenzie looks too surnameish.

DD is in year 2 this year and there are 4 Mackenzie's in her year level. So when I hear it I think overly popular and it's getting boring.

To me, it's just completely a surname. There are some surnames which to me do translate well to first names, but this isn't one of them. But I'm pretty anti surname as first names generally.

I don't like it on girls particularly, as the Mac part meaning 'son of' just seems silly. I actually prefer just Kenzie for a girl (even though it's something I'd never use myself).

I don't like it.

It feels to me like one of those names where there are five children in a class with the same name, and all of those five spell it differently.

definitely a surname first and foremost - however it is spelt. Then a boys name maybe.

I also can't reconcile with calling your daugher 'son of' anything. .

It's NMS at all.

Since you asked for reasons: the variety of spellings bothers me. It's too surname-y for my taste (my grandmother's maiden name). Trendy, too - it seems like the kind of name that could 'date' very quickly (in Australia, anyway).

The only Mackenzie I've known IRL is a boy, so I also automatically think 'boy' when I hear it.

I don't like it. Purely because of the fifty thousand ways it seems to be spelled.

As above (Kenzie is equally terrible for me). I can't see anything 'girly' in this name.

Seems too faddish to me. I really dislike all the surname-firstnames that seem to be trendy at the moment. But I have fairly conventional taste in names.

I don't like it, sorry. I think it's a combination of;

1. it's a surname
2. it will date quickly (in Aus at least)
3. too many spelling variations
4. I'm not into unisex names.

I always thought it was a girls name and then a guy at work named his son this (don't know which spelling.) So now I'm confused!

I'll have a think about some similar non-girly options.

DH liked it, but I couldn't imagine a cute little girl running around getting called 'Macka'. WAY too masculine for me. I've seen 2 little Mackenzies at school and they are both gorgeous and complete girly-girls.

I also crossed one at the park and she got the nickname Kenzie which I actually thought was really cute. I didn't dislike the name as much when I heard the girlier nickname

I really really dislike this name. It is one of my least favorites going around at the moment.

I don't like or dislike the name but I definitely don't like it spelt McKenzie.

Thanks for the replies! I'm glad to see 'bogan' didn't come up (not yet, at least).


This is my fear - but if the name's dying down now, I wouldn't mind as much. But does that mean I like a name that was popular 7 or 8 years ago, has now dated, and I've missed the boat?


I like surnames as first names, and boys names on girls so I guess I'm breaking the rules well and truly! I understand the 'son of...' concern, though.


Another thing that worries me - as PP said, it might be a 'fad' name. But that's difficult to predict I suppose.


I do like it spelled with the 'a'. But I would spell it McKenzie.

The reason I like it (and that specific spelling) is that it was my grandfather's name - his first name. Even as a teenager I liked it and planned it for a daughter. Then it started to come into fashion, and only now, 20 years later, am I in the position to potentially use it, so I wanted an updated point of view.

The fact it is a boy's name I don't mind, given I like boys names on girls anyway, and its the name of a specifc male relative. The surname thing doesn't bother me either - it was his first name, so there's precedence Plus my DH, who is a big fan of names like Kate and James, has given it his stamp of approval. And it would make my Mum happy. Lots of reasons 'for', so I wanted to get a few 'against', just to make sure I'm not using one ofthose teenager's dream names (we know how shocking they can be).

Thanks again. More comments are welcome

I think this name is vile. When I hear it, I don't think tomboyish, quirky or cute. I certainly don't think unconventional. Instead, the first thought that springs to mind is of a poor innocent child dressed completely in horrible licensed clothing, for instance, Dora the Explorer. In my mind this unfortunate little girl is usually following a really really fat woman with greasy hair who is wearing leggings. Her father is also tremendously fat, is missing teeth, and has an unfortunate barbed wire tattoo around his arm. And this family is in a food court. Arguing. And somebody is holding and eating hot chips. Oh, and the mother is saying "oh yeah, I seen that yesterday", and the father is saying "let's get them ones".

But I think this is unfair and wouldn't suggest that this is what people who name their child MacKenzie are actually like. I have met a male MacKenzie and he was very nice and his parents were lovely.

I just think MacKenzie is a surname and also a horrible sound. I think it is too common. I also think it is a missed opportunity to give a child a lovely name.

To me its a surname. I dont think its very girly tbh but its not a vomit worthy name and you seem to really like it and thats the main thing - I think you could get away with the NN of Z and thats kind of cool

my niece is spelled MAKENZIE

i love it.....we have 4 other people we know of that have called their babies this since my neice was born (shes 10 months)

Completely agree.....

I love the name - it was number one on my list for a girl, but unfortunately, DH has issues with using 'son of' for girls as well as surnames for first names, so will not happen... it may possibly becoming popular again.....

I think it's a nice name.

unfortunately after watching way to many episodes of reality shows on childrens pagents in the USA (like toddlers and tiaras) I now visualise the fake tan, massive hair and flippers. it seems every second girl on that show is Mckenzie or Makayla.

I'm sure there are many gorgeous little girls with that name, it's just been a little ruined for me now

1. surname
2. masculine sounding
3. trendy ie will date very easily
4 boganish

I'm just gonna say it....

Totally bogan, sorry!!!

I have the same opinion as you.

I have a Mackenzie, she's 2.5. I've only heard it once other than mine.

For nicknames, she gets Kenzi, Miss K, K, Z, and Kenzi bum... Never Mac or macca, I hate those lol

Semantically I see the Mc thing as meaning 'child of' as opposed to 'son of' so that doesn't bother me, especially with regard to all the females in the world with Mc/Mac surnames.

In terms of a given name I see it as fine for a middle family name or first given name for a boy with the NN of Mac/Mack. Otherwise my response is that it is common and in the 'trendy for a millisecond' category.

When I hear it, I'm sorry, but I do think 'bogan' instantly.

I'm sorry, I don't want to offend anyone, just answering the question.

And why - mainly because to me, it is a surname, not a first name. I also think 'Mac' is quite a hard sounding nn for a girl.

Good luck!

My daughter is Mckenzie ,(we dont have the big K) it suits her and we love it i put my foot down in the family she was never to be called macca!
I actually dont care what anyone thinks of it as I love it.
she gets called Zie.
So far ive met only 2 others both spelt differently

ETA: as far as EB goes nearly everything is bogan so I dont even take that into account.............
most of the time the people that claim its bogan have boring predictable names .............
and the most important thing is


it doesnt matter what you call your child as long as you love it

I have a 7 yr old DD. I wanted to call her Mackenzie Alexandra. My DH said no as it sounded with our last name like a law firm. I am glad now he said no as she thinks it is a horrible name and the name we picked her suits her well.

I have only come across kids with this name ranging from ages 7 to 16, which makes it sound like a trend that has passed. However this thread proves there are youner Mackenzies running or crawling around!

Of the Mackenzies I know well two have this spelling - a boy and a girl. And a McKenzie who is a boy.

While it's not a name I like particularly, it's OK and I see it as totally gender neutral.

I havent read all the thread, but my friend recently had a baby girl and called her Kenzie. I love it. I think its a great version of McKenzie.

+ 1

Don't worry cluckymrs, I love it.
I do prefer it spelt Mackenzie but I definitley love the name.

Thanks I loved the name hubby wanted it spelt that way ... a good compromise i think

Agree with this. I really dislike this name.

For me, its bad i know, but i would but the name as belonging to someone from a lower demographioc - thats just my instant reaction to the name.

No offence to anyone who has used the name, but it's not my thing at all.

It strikes me as being a surname, I don't like the idea of a nickname being Mac etc, it seems a bit flash in the pan to me.

However, it's your little girl so go with whatever speaks to you!! (There'll always be someone who doesn't like whatever name you choose)!

When I hear it, I think "Poor bloody kid. Out of all the truly fabulous both rare and traditional, pretty and elegant, girls' names out there, someone lumped a little girl with such a clunky, harsh sounding surname."

I would imagine a pair of entirely suburban, Kath n Kim type parents using it, because they feel it will make their daughter stand out in the crowd and BE A SOMEBODY!

So I perceive it to be a trendy, aspirational name, rather than a bogan name.

This is what I'm worried about - because we aren't the Kath n Kim type at all.

But the idea that a name is given because the parents want their daughter to stand out and be somebody, is the exact reason why I don't want her to have a 'pretty, elegant' name. Isn't that then saying you want your daughter to be pretty and elegant? I don't think they are necessarily the most important traits in a person. Maybe that's why I lean towards surname/boyish names - more room to grow into the name.

Case in point: the thread asking for "your most beautiful girls names" has a whole bunch of nice names listed, but I don't find any of them particularly interesting or appealing. But I can see I'm in the minority - I think most people here prefer frill I'm not a very girly girl myself - maybe this is why I don't care for the pretty?

I still like McKenzie though. Maybe even moreso now!

Molokai - I'm obviously biased, I love the name lol. But I also think your reasons for choosing it are beautiful. I love names with culture or sentiment and family history behind them.

I don't think we're bogan Kath'n'Kim type parents... though we do live in Melbourne

Honestly, I think its awful, regardless of how its spelt.

To me, it is an extension of the Michaela (lovely name) - which turned into a McKayla, Mikayla, M-K'laah ( ) trend, which extended into other "Mc" names.

There are so many beautiful names out there - pretty, strong, fiesty, feminine - why go for a butchered surname??

I have a friend who used this name and I still shake my head. Sorry, but its one of my more disliked names.

I know a McKenzie and she is gorgeous!
Very stong, no nonsense, happy little girl.
I like the name!

I don't like the current trend of using surnames as first names, so I don't like it.

But it's an incredibly common thing to do now so really that's just me.

Mackenzie is my DS's name. He is turning 8. At the time it was not popular at all. In the UK it was a DEFINATE male name and in the USA a female name. We loved it at the time. I definately had my doubts afterwards after all these girls started popping up with the name.. it astounded me as I NEVER thought it was a girls name and I thought "who on earth would give a girl such a masculine name!"... 8 years on, the ONLY Mackenzie's I know of are males. There are 3 at my sons school. We are definately NOT bogans (yes, I know this for a fact! HAHAHAHA). Nicknames he gets are Mack, Kenzie, and now, thanks to his terrible teacher last year, the whole school calls him Macca... which now has extended to his soccer club as kids from school are also members.. erks me no end. Unavoidable I guess. He says he doesn't mind it so who am I to worry.

So, sorry, NOT a girls name in my opinion. There are so many more lovely girls names out there...

I should have made it clearer in my post that I believe there are hundreds of names for girls that fall between the extremes of rare and traditional, such as names from other cultures, biblical names, mythological names, botanical names, perennially popular names, and so on. in addition these names for girls can fall anywhere between the extremes of pretty and elegant, for example they can be plain, frivolous, haughty, quaint, eccentric, and so on.

With such a variety of names available for girls why one would choose a not particularly nice sounding surname is beyond me.

My daughter has a name that is neither pretty nor traditional nor common.

It can be done.


Or perhaps you value the masculine over the feminine, and that is the message you will be sending your daughter?

to me it is a sirname. I dont like it. But I dont like any of the sirname as first names.


There are so many nice names out there, unique ones from different cultures, pretty ones from this culture - why not chose one of those?

I'm American. It's extremely NMS.

Since you asked, I associate it with the same bracket as Madison, Dakota, Riley, and Miley. It is a cheerleader name. I do not hear at as tomboyish, I hear it as precious with a side of big-famous-dreams. Places and last names are always a bit fraught for me.

To me it's trying to be different without actually BEING different. I don't like the spelling. I don't like that the only last names approved for girly first name use are UK-approved. No one goes oh its ADORABLE to name a girl Horowitz or Rodriguez.

I love it, spelt Mackenzie. I don't think its bogan at all.