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Mac Kay Family History

Mac Kay Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Mackay, Mackey, Mckay, Maclay, Macleay, Mackley, Macera, Mack, Machak

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Mac Kay family from?

You can see how Mac Kay families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mac Kay family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Mac Kay families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 23 Mac Kay families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 41% of all the recorded Mac Kay's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Mac Kay families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mac Kay surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Mac Kay ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Mac Kay. 54% of Mac Kay men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Mac Kay women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Mac Kay were Fisherman and School Teacher.

View Census Data for Mac Kay | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    54%
  • Labourer
    7%
  • Student
    6%
  • Fisherman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Teacher
    17%
  • Housekeeping
    17%
  • Saleslady
    17%
  • School Teacher
    13%

What Mac Kay family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Mac Kay. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mac Kay census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Mac Kay

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Mac Kay. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Mac Kay immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Mac Kay. For the veterans among your Mac Kay ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mac Kay military records

You've only scratched the surface of Mac Kay family history

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What is the average Mac Kay lifespan?

Between 1969 and 2003, in the United States, Mac Kay life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1983, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Mac Kay in 1969 was 88, and 63 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mac Kay

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mac Kay ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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