Surname McKinlay - Meaning and Origin

McKinlay: What does the surname McKinlay mean?

The surname McKinlay is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic Mac Fhionnlaidh, which means "son of Finlay." The name Finlay itself comes from Fionnlagh, a combination of "fionn" meaning "white or fair" and "laoch" meaning "warrior." Therefore, the surname McKinlay can be interpreted as "son of the fair warrior." This surname is primarily associated with the Scottish region of Galloway where the first instances of the McKinlay family were found, dating back to the medieval era. Over time, due to emigration and diaspora, the McKinlay last name spread to other regions worldwide. It is crucial to remember that surnames had various spellings throughout history due to differences in regional dialects and spelling conventions. Hence, McKinlay can be witnessed in multiple forms such as MacKinley, MacKinlay, MacKindlay, MacKinly, MacKindley, and many more.

McKinlay: Where does the name McKinlay come from?

The last name McKinlay is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Fhionnlaigh, meaning "son of Finlay." The surname traces its roots back to the ancient Pictish clans of Scotland's west coast and Hebrides islands. The first recorded instance of the name was in the 14th century when Gillaspec M'Kynlay held lands in the shire of Dumfries.

Today, the unknown is common in mainly English-speaking countries, particularly in Scotland — where the name originated — and in other parts of the United Kingdom. It's also prevalent in countries that experienced significant Scottish immigration, like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname McKinlay

The surname McKinlay is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic name Mac Fhionnlaigh. It has numerous variations in spelling due to regional differences, phonetic spelling, and Anglicisation. Some of the variants of McKinlay include McKinley, Mackinley, MacKinlay, Mackinlay, MacKinley, Mckinley, Macinlay, Mac Inlay, Mckindley and Mckindlay. The surname can also be spelled as Mac an Leagha, and MacInealgh.

There are also alternate forms of this surname, including M’Kinlay, M’Kinley, and M’Kindlay, due to the Scottish tradition of using the prefix M' or Mc before the name, both of which means 'son of'. The surname could change from one generation to the next, depending on whether it was the son or the father who was named. Although these are surnames of the same root, they may not necessarily denote the same family.

Surnames were often traslated into English or simplified, resulting in slight variations. McKinley, for example, is an Anglicized form of the original Gaelic form. Despite these variations, these surnames ultimately have the same origin and meaning.

Famous people with the name McKinlay

• Hugh McKinlay: singer-songwriter from Scotland
• Jerry McKinlay: Canadian ice hockey player
• Craig McKinlay: Scottish professional footballer
• Alexander William McKinlay: New Zealand explorer and ethnologist
• Graeme McKinlay: New Zealand politician
• Sam McKinlay: Scottish professional footballer
• Angus McKinlay: Canadian Voice Actor
• Andrew McKinlay: British Labour Party Politician
• John McKinlay: Australian explorer and pastoralist
• Joseph McKinlay: Canadian curler and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce executive
• William McKinlay: Scottish poet
• John Alexander McKinlay: Canadian entomologist
• James McKinlay: New Zealand minister of railways
• Joseph Peter McKinlay: Canadian politician
• Mary McKinlay: British botanist
• William Gordon McKinlay: Canadian lawyer and judge
• Gregory McKinlay: Canadian singer-songwriter
• William McKinlay: Scottish trade unionist and politician

Other surnames

McKinley