How to say it
MACK
mæk
Masculine
Mack
Son of
What it means
From the Gaelic mac, 'son of,' and a short form of names and surnames beginning with Mac.
Mack comes from the Gaelic mac, 'son of,' the building block of countless Scottish and Irish surnames. As a first name it is rugged and friendly, short for Mackenzie, Maxwell, or just itself. Trucks and old songs give it a tough, working-class swagger. One solid syllable.
How to spell Mack
The standard spelling is Mack. Common variants include Mac, Mak, Macke, but Mack is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #96 in 1900, currently #463 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
From Gaelic mac, 'son of'; also short for Mackenzie.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Mack Brown American college football coach who won a national title with the Texas Longhorns in 2005
Spelling variants
- Mac
- Mak
- Macke
Names with the same feeling
See Mack from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Mack mean?
- From the Gaelic mac, 'son of,' and a short form of names and surnames beginning with Mac.
- What does Mack mean in Scottish?
- In Scottish, Mack means "Son of." Mack comes from the Gaelic mac, 'son of,' the building block of countless Scottish and Irish surnames. As a first name it is rugged and friendly, short for Mackenzie, Maxwell, or just itself. Trucks and old songs give it a tough, working-class swagger. One solid syllable.
- Is Mack short for Mackenzie?
- Yes. Mack is a short form of Mackenzie, and it carries the same meaning, "Son of." These days many parents use Mack as a given name in its own right, not only as a nickname.
- How do you pronounce Mack?
- Mack is pronounced mæk. Say it as MACK, with the stress on the "mack" syllable.
- How do you spell Mack?
- The standard spelling is Mack. Common spelling variants include Mac, Mak, Macke.
- Is Mack a boy or girl name?
- Mack is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Mack?
- Mack ranked #463 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.