GENDER:
Male or female

PRONUNCIATION:
Mah-KEN-zee

ETYMOLOGY:
The original origin for the name Mackenzie is of Scottish origin meaning "son of the good-looking", "son of the fair", or "son of handsome".

ORIGIN & HISTORY:
The surname MacKenzie, a Celtic name, was recorded in Scotland as 1264, where the clan was recorded living in Eilean Donan, an island off of Loch Duich, in the western Highlands.

The earliest American settlers known were John and Mary McKenzie and their two sons, who settled in New York in 1738.

POPULARITY:
As a boy's name, Mackenzie didn't reach the top 1,000 most popular boys names until 1985, where it ranked at number 889. It remained in the top 1,000 through the year 2001, becoming the most popular in 1994 at number 366.

The name Mackenzie for a girl first reached the top 1,000 most popular girls names in 1976 at number 838. The name began to surge as actress Mackenzie Phillips was very popular on the television series "One Day at a Time". In 2006, the name was ranked at number 53.

FACTS:
- Mackenzie Ltd. is an online gourmet food website serving various desserts, appetizers, and entrees.

- There is a "Clan MacKenzie Society in the Americas" club that was founded in 1997 to keep the heritage and history of the Scottish MacKenzie Clan alive.

NAMESAKES:
- Geographical Namesakes:
In the United States, there is a town Mackenzie in Missouri. In Canada, there is a town Mackenzie in British Columbia and a Mackenzie Point in Ontario. Also, Mackenzie River is the largest river in Canada at 1,738 kilometers long.

- Fictional Characters:
Mackenzie Bock is a fictional character in the DC Comic's Batman series. Captain Bock is a police captain in Gothem City.

FAMOUS PERSONS:
1. Mackenzie Astin is an American actor born in Los Angeles, California on May 12, 1973 and is also actress Patty Duke's son.

2. Mackenzie Bowell was the fifth Prime Minister of Canada. He was born in Rickinghall, Suffolk, England on December 27, 1823 and died on December 10, 1917. He was in office as Prime Minister from December 21, 1894 until April 27, 1896.

3. Mackenzie Crook is an English actor who was born on September 29, 1971 in Maidstone, Kent, England and is perhaps best known for his role as Ragetti in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

4. Mackenzie Holmes is on the cast of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" in the second season. She lives in San Diego, California and aspires to be an actress, a singer and a fashion designer.

5. Mackenzie Phillips, born as Laura Mackenzie Phillips in Alexandria, Virginia on November 10, 1959, is an actress and singer. She's perhaps best known for her role as Julie Cooper on the sitcom "One Day at a Time" in the 1970s and 1980s.

6. Mackenzie Rosman, born on December 28, 1989 in Charleston, South Carolina, is an actress best known for her role as Ruthie Camden in the television series "7th Heaven".

NAME VARIANTS:
There are five name variants for the name Mackenzie. They are Mackenzey, Makensie, Makenzie, Mckenzie, and M'kenzie.

Learn more about this author, Nicole Williams.
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