Mackinley

Variations – Mackinlay, MacInally, Macinally, MacNally, MacGinley.
Racial Origin – Scottish and Irish.
Source – A given name.

The origin of these family names is more or less confused, concerning the clans from which the various forms come, so that the following explanation must be accepted as general, and allowances made for the fact that there are numerous individual exceptions.

For the most part, then, these names are founded on the Gaelic given name of “Findla” or “Flonniadh,” which has given rise to the Scottish family names of Findlay, Finlay, Finley, Finlayson, and the like.

In fact, Mackinlay is but another form of “MacFinlay”, which spelling is not to be met with, the Gaelic form being “MacFhionnlaigh.”

Such forms as Mackinley, Mackinlay and Macinally are to be found mostly among descendants of the Clan Buchanan, but there was also a small sept of this name in Clan MacFarlane.  Sometimes, too, these names are changed spellings of “Mac-an-Leight,” an entirely different name, which is found principally among the Stewarts of Appin. But this name should more properly he rendered in English by MacLay or MacLeay.

The forms MacGinley and MacNally are also derivatives of the forgoing Scottish sept names transplanted into Ireland in many cases, though there are other channels through which similar names have been developed in Ireland.