How to say it
mc · KEN · na
/məˈkɛn.ə/
Feminine
Mckenna
Child of Cionaodh (born of fire)
What it means
An Irish surname, Mac Cionaodha, 'son of Cionaodh,' a name tied to fire.
Mckenna comes from the Irish surname Mac Cionaodha, 'son of Cionaodh,' a personal name linked to fire. Like Mckenzie and Makayla, it crossed from surname to feminine first name on the Mc- wave of the 1990s and 2000s. It reads spirited and modern, and folds down to the sweet Kenna or Mac. Makenna is the phonetic respelling.
Popularity over time
peaked at #177 in 2002, currently #410 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Kenna and Mac are the shorts.
- Spelling
Mckenna, McKenna, and Makenna are the same Irish 'son of fire' surname turned feminine.
Spelling variants
- McKenna
- Makenna
- Mackenna
Names with the same feeling
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