McKinley, MacKinley or Mackinlay is a Scottish and Irish surname historically associated with northwestern

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...

, the over-kingdom of

Ulaid Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh (Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and in ...

in northeastern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. One derivation given is that the McKinley are of the ancient

race and are a branch of its "Red Branch"

MacDunleavy (dynasty) Donlevy is a firstname and surname of Irish origin. Also spelt as MacDonlevy, Donleavy, Dunleavy, MacAleavey, and McAlevey, it derives from the Irish ''Mac Duinnshléibhe'', meaning "son of Donn of the mountain". ''Ó Duinnshléibhe'' is a variant ...

royal house of the Dal Fiatach which dominated the kingship of the over-kingdom of

(original Gaelic language Mac Duinnshléibhe). Etymology for the origins of the surname proposes that the Anglicized surname McKinley, like the surname

MacNulty McNulty (also spelled MacNulty or McAnulty) is a surname of Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic ''Mac an Ultaigh'' meaning "son of the Ulsterman". Usually considered a branch of the Ulaid ruling dynasty of ''Mac Duinnshléibhe'' ( MacDo ...

(Gaelic Mac an Ultaigh, trans. "son of the ultonian, ulidian or ulsterman"), arose originally from a

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

nickname given the deposed MacDunleavy dynasty royals while exiled in

Tirconnell Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which has sometimes been called ''County Tyrconnell''. At times it also included parts of County Fermanagh, Co ...

and elsewhere. Being, also, one of Ireland's ancient hereditary medical families, the MacDunleavy (variant English spelling MacDonlevy) were in Tirconnell accorded the high Gaelic status of "ollahm leighis" or the official physicians to the O'Donnell clan in

and practiced as physicians while exiled in Argyll, Scotland. The nickname was Mac an Leigh. Per this scenario the Gaelic language patronymic forming prefix "Mac" (meaning "descended of") is joined to the Gaelic language "Léigh" meaning leech, but denoting a physician. Leeching having been for millennia, in

Gaelic Ireland Gaelic Ireland ( ga, Éire Ghaelach) was the Gaelic political and social order, and associated culture, that existed in Ireland from the late prehistoric era until the early 17th century. It comprised the whole island before Anglo-Normans co ...

and elsewhere, a commonly employed medical practice. Otherwise, the name is said to be of Scottish origin, meaning 'son of Finlay'.

Notable people with the surname "McKinley" include

A

* Ada S. McKinley (1868–1952), American educator * Alvin McKinley (born 1978), American football player *

Andrew McKinley Andrew McKinley (1903 – 11 January 1996) was an American operatic tenor, violinist, arts administrator, music educator, and school administrator. Although he mainly performed in the United States, he had an active international singing career w ...

(1903–1996), American musician *

Ashley Chadbourne McKinley Ashley Chadbourne McKinley (June 23, 1896 – February 11, 1970) was an accomplished American aerial photographer and colonel in the U.S. Army Air Corps who helped pioneer aviation at subzero temperatures. He accompanied Richard E. Byrd as an aer ...

(1896–1970), American photographer

B

* Ben McKinley (born 1987), Australian rules footballer * Bill McKinley (1910–1980), American baseball umpire * Bill McKinley (footballer) (1882–1952), Australian rules footballer *

Brunson McKinley Brunson McKinley (born 1943) is a Co-Chair of the Association for International Mobility (AIM) and was the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (elected to back to back terms in October 1998 and 2003). He was the fir ...

(born 1943), American diplomat

C

* Carl McKinley (1895–1966), American composer *

Cedric McKinley Cedric McKinley (born March 26, 1987) is an American former Canadian football defensive lineman, most notably for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Minnesota, and was originally signed as an ...

(born 1987), American football player *

Charles McKinley Charles Albert McKinley (13 September 1902 – 20 March 1983) was an English professional football outside forward who played in the Football League for Charlton Athletic and Brentford. He remained an amateur prior to joining Brentford. Honou ...

(1902–1983), English footballer *

Charlie McKinley Charlie McKinley (26 October 1903 – 27 February 1990) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Austral ...

(1903–1990), Australian rules footballer *

Chuck McKinley Charles Robert McKinley Jr. (January 5, 1941 – August 11, 1986) was an American former World number 1 male tennis player rankings, world no. 1 men's amateur tennis champion of the 1960s. He is remembered as an undersized, hard-working dynamo, ...

(1941–1986), American tennis player *

Craig McKinley (disambiguation) Craig McKinley may refer to: * Craig R. McKinley (born 1952), United States Air Force and National Guard general * Craig McKinley (physician) (1964–2013), Canadian physician and aquanaut See also * Craig Mackinlay Craig Mackinlay (born 7 O ...

, multiple people

D

* David McKinley (born 1947), American politician *

Dennis McKinley Dennis L. McKinley (born November 3, 1976) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football for ...

(born 1976), American football player *

Dominic McKinley Dominic McKinley (born 1960 in Loughguile, County Antrim) is an Irish former sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Loughgiel Shamrocks Loughgiel Shamrocks GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the village of Lough ...

(born 1960), Irish sportsperson

E

Elizabeth McKinley Elizabeth Ann McKinley is a New Zealand academic and as of 2019 is a full professor at the University of Melbourne. Academic career After a 2003 PhD titled ''Brown Bodies, White Coats: Postcolonialism, Māori Women and Science'' at the Univer ...

, New Zealand academic *

Elliott Miles McKinley Elliott Miles McKinley (born April 23, 1969) is an American composer, improviser, and teacher. He is currently Associate Professor of Music Composition and Theory at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, and director of the Alba Music Festiva ...

(born 1969), American composer

G

* Galen McKinley, American professor * Gareth H. McKinley, American professor * George E. McKinley (1872–1941), American politician

I

* Ian McKinley (born 1989), Irish-Italian rugby union footballer *

Ida Saxton McKinley Ida McKinley ( née Saxton; June 8, 1847 – May 26, 1907) was the first lady of the United States from 1897 until 1901, as the wife of President William McKinley. Born to a successful Ohio family, Ida met her future husband and later marr ...

(1847–1907), American social figure *

Ivan McKinley Ivan McKinley (born 15 June 1969) is a retired South African soccer player who played in Major League Soccer from 1996 to 2002 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, the New England Revolution, the Miami Fusion and DC United. After graduating from Hill ...

(born 1969), South African soccer player

J

* James McKinley (disambiguation), multiple people *

Javon McKinley Javon McKinley (born April 10, 1998) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Notre Dame. Early life and high school McKinley grew up in Corona, California and attended Centennial High School. H ...

(born 1998), American football player *

J. C. McKinley John Charnley McKinley (November 8, 1891 - January 3, 1950) was an American neurologist who co-authored the psychological assessment known as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). He was educated at the University of Minnesota, w ...

(1891–1950), American neurologist *

J. Edward McKinley James Edward McKinley (October 11, 1917 – July 30, 2004) was an American character actor.Sherman, Gene (November 10, 1960). CITYSIDE: Stardom for a Freedom Fighter. ''Los Angeles Times'' He frequently played authority figures, including la ...

(1917–2004), American actor *

Jennifer McKinley Jennifer McKinley is a scientist from Northern Ireland, UK. She is currently a Reader at the School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast. Her main areas of research interest include geostatistics, GIS, soil geochemistry, ...

, Northern Irish scientist *

Jesse McKinley Jesse Underwood McKinley (born 1970) is an American journalist who is currently Albany bureau chief at ''The New York Times'' and covers the COVID-19 pandemic. Early life and education McKinley grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the son of ...

(born 1970), American journalist *

Joanne McKinley Joanne McKinley (born 1 August 1988) is a Northern Irish former cricketer who played primarily as a right-arm medium bowler. She appeared in one One Day International for Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Sco ...

(born 1988), Irish cricketer *

John McKinley John McKinley (May 1, 1780 – July 19, 1852) was a United States Senate, United States Senator from the U.S. state, state of Alabama and an Associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, associate justice of the Supreme Court ...

(1780–1852), American politician * John C. McKinley (1859–1927), American politician and lawyer * Joseph H. McKinley Jr. (born 1954), American judge *

Joss McKinley Joss McKinley is a British photographer. McKinley studied graphic design at Central Saint Martins, London. After graduating in 2003 he went on to a masters in photography at the University of the Arts London. He is both an art and commercial ...

(born 1981), British photographer * J. W. McKinley (1891–1957), American politician

K

Kathryn S. McKinley Kathryn S. McKinley is an American computer scientist noted for her research on compilers, runtime systems, and computer architecture. She is also known for her leadership in broadening participation in computing. McKinley was co-chair of CRA-W f ...

(born 1962), American computer scientist * Kelly McKinley, Canadian-American museum curator *

Kenny McKinley Kendrick L. McKinley (January 31, 1987 – September 20, 2010) was an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Broncos in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He playe ...

(1987–2010), American football player * Kent S. McKinley (1898–1972), American politician

L

* Larry McKinley (1927–2013), American music promoter *

L. C. McKinley L. C. McKinley (October 22, 1918 – January 19, 1970) was an American Chicago blues guitarist. He worked with Eddie Boyd and Ernest Cotton. A performer on the Chicago blues scene, McKinley's major output was as a session musician on recordings m ...

(1918–1970), American guitarist * Lee McKinley (1906–1986), American politician

M

Mairead McKinley Mairead McKinley is a Northern Irish actress. Career Before starting her professional career, McKinley trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where she won the Pauline Siddle Award. Theatre McKinley's work in theatre includes: ''T ...

(born 1970), Northern Irish actress * Michael McKinley (born 1954), American diplomat

P

Paul McKinley Paul McKinley (born 1947) is the Iowa State Senator from the 36th District. He has served in the Iowa Senate since 2001 and served as Senate minority leader from 2009 until November 2011. McKinley currently serves on the Education committee, th ...

(born 1947), American politician * Peter McKinley (1811–??), American politician

R

* Ray McKinley (1910–1995), American musician * Richard McKinley (1886–1951), American politician * Robert McKinley (disambiguation), multiple people *

Robin McKinley Robin McKinley (born November 16, 1952) is an American author best known for her fantasy novels and fairy tale retellings. Her 1984 novel ''The Hero and the Crown'' won the Newbery Medal as the year's best new American children's book. In 2022 ...

(born 1952), American author * Rodney J. McKinley (born 1956), American air force officer *

Ruth Gowdy McKinley Ruth Gowdy McKinley (1931 – December 8, 1981) was an American-born Canadian ceramic artist noted for her skill in designing functional ceramic ware. She specialized in making teapots, cups and vases. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, M ...

(1931–1981), American-Canadian artist

T

* Takkarist McKinley (born 1995), American football player * Tamara McKinley (born 1948), British-Australian author * Therese McKinley (1928–2021), American baseball player *

Thomas McKinley Thomas Joseph McKinley (19 March 1888 – 8 July 1949) was an Australian politician. He was born in Maryborough in Victoria. In 1941 he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly as a Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, ...

(1888–1949), Australian politician

V

* Vern McKinley, American political advisor *

Verone McKinley III Verone McKinley III (born June 29, 2000) is an American football safety for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oregon. Early life McKinley attended Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas ...

(born 2000), American football player * Virgil McKinley (1874–1954), American football coach

W

* Wes McKinley (born 1945), American politician * William McKinley (disambiguation), multiple people

Notable people with the given name "McKinley" include

McKinley Bailey McKinley Bailey (born November 12, 1980) is the Iowa State Representative from the 9th District. He has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2007. Bailey currently serves on several committees in the Iowa House - the Commerce commit ...

(born 1980), American politician *

McKinley Belcher III McKinley Belcher III (born March 23, 1984) is an American actor, known for his starring role as Samuel Diggs in the PBS television series ''Mercy Street'', Anthony Carter in the Fox genre drama ''The Passage'', and as Agent Trevor Evans in Netf ...

(born 1984), American actor * McKinley Blackburn, American economist *

McKinley Boston McKinley Boston Jr. (born November 5, 1945) is an American university administrator who most recently was athletic director at New Mexico State University. He was named athletics director on December 14, 2004 and retired effective December 31, 201 ...

(born 1945), American academic administrator *

McKinley Boykin McKinley Boykin (born March 24, 1983) is a former American football defensive tackle who played one season in the National Football League. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at M ...

(born 1983), American football player * McKinley Brewer (1896–1955), American baseball player *

McKinley Burnett McKinley Burnett (January 9, 1897 – July 24, 1968) played a pivotal role in the landmark ''Brown v. Board of Education'' of Topeka school desegregation case as President of the Topeka NAACP by recruiting 13 Topeka families to participate in the ...

(1897–1968), American lawyer *

McKinley Mitchell McKinley Mitchell (December 25, 1934 – January 18, 1986) was an American Chicago-based blues and rhythm and blues singer, who started out performing gospel music. His first recorded single was "Rock Everybody Rock" for Boxer Records in 1959. His ...

(1934–1986), American singer *McKinley Morganfield, known as

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago b ...

(1913–1983), American musician *

McKinley L. Price McKinley Lenard Price (born March 10, 1949) is an American politician and dentist who served as the mayor of the city of Newport News, Virginia from 2010 until 2022. Career Price graduated from Collis P. Huntington High School in 1967 and Hampt ...

(born 1949), American politician * McKinley Singleton (born 1961), American basketball player * McKinley Tennyson (born 1979), American soccer player * McKinley Thompson Jr. (1922–2006), American automotive designer * McKinley Washington Jr. (1936–2022), American politician *

McKinley Wright IV McKinley Wright IV (born October 25, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. He played college ...

(born 1997), American basketball player

Fictional characters

Dash McKinley Deirdre Elaine "Dash" McKinley is a fictional character from the Australian drama series ''Blue Heelers'', played by Tasma Walton. She made her first appearance in "The Kremin Factor", which was broadcast on 18 June 1996. One of her major storylin ...

, a character on the Australian television series '' Blue Heelers''

References

{{Reflist Surnames Anglicised Scottish Gaelic-language surnames Anglicised Irish-language surnames