Mac is the Gaelic word for "son", the prefix of countless Scottish and Irish surnames such as MacDonald and McCarthy, and it has long served as a nickname for anyone with such a name. As a stand-alone first name it has a friendly, no-nonsense feel, like Jack or Max. Mac ranked number 1840 in the United States in 2000, entered the top 1000 in 2019, peaked at number 605 in 2022 and ranks number 696 in 2025.