Mac
Mac was the 696th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 390 babies. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked 308th; the most babies were born in 2022 (465). Over the last ten years it has moved up 402 places. More babies were named Mac in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Mack) Origin uncertain · Scottish Gaelic, Irish, English
- Rank in 2025
- #696 boys, up 238 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 390boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2022465 babies
- Total since 1880
- 11,455babies recorded
What does the name Mac mean?
Mac is a spelling of Mack, pronounced the same way, so it shares Mack's meaning and origin.
Mack has several sources. Harrison (1918) treats it as an abbreviation of one of the many Scottish and Irish Mac- surnames, where mac means "son". Wiktionary also records it as a pet form of Max and as an informal term of address. As a modern boy's name it is often simply a short, friendly name, so no single meaning applies.
mac (Gaelic, “son”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Several unrelated sources.
Related names: Max, Mac, Mackenzie.
See also: Scottish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Mack', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'MACK', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Mac popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 58 since 1918, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #696 | 390 |
| 2020 | #934 | 237 |
| 2010 | #1,436 | 116 |
| 2000 | #1,840 | 58 |
| 1990 | #1,719 | 47 |
| 1980 | #1,253 | 55 |
| 1970 | #1,087 | 57 |
| 1960 | #921 | 68 |
| 1950 | #623 | 122 |
| 1940 | #713 | 73 |
| 1930 | #789 | 67 |
| 1920 | #772 | 74 |
| 1910 | #772 | 16 |
| 1900 | #763 | 12 |
| 1890 | #955 | 6 |
| 1880 | #784 | 7 |
How popular is Mac, counting every spelling?
Mac is a spelling of Mack, a name family that ranked #327 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #696 for Mac on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,070 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mack | 668 | #463 | 3,051 |
| Mac | 390 | #696 | 2,062 |
| Mak | 12 | #7,050 | 67 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Mac?
390 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mac (0.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Mac born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 22 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mac.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mac?
About 7,800 people born in the US named Mac are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 5 and 53. That makes Mac mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Mac by state
How common Mac was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (3.1×), Massachusetts (2.7×), Utah (2.7×), Iowa (2.5×), Nebraska (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Nevada, California, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Mac: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mac, they share its era and feel.
Mac is also a nickname for Mackenzie and Malcolm.
Questions about the name Mac
What does Mac mean?
The origin of Mack is uncertain: several unrelated sources.
How popular is the name Mac?
Mac was the 696th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 390 babies. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked 308th; the most babies were born in 2022 (465). Over the last ten years it has moved up 402 places. More babies were named Mac in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Mac a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Mac in the US.
Where is Mac most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mac was most common in Minnesota (0.73 per 1,000 boys), followed by Massachusetts and Utah.