Mckenzie is a spelling of Mackenzie, the Scottish surname Mac Coinnich, which means "son of Coinneach", a Gaelic name usually explained as "handsome" or "fair one". It became a girls' name in the United States in the 1980s after child actress Mackenzie Phillips and the Mackenzie River gave it a familiar ring. Mckenzie ranked number 133 in 2000 and has slipped steadily since, from number 151 in 2015 to number 576 among girls' names in 2025.