McKim
A Scottish and Irish surname usually understood as a patronymic form meaning “son of Kim” or “son of Caimbeul/Cumha,” though its exact source is not fully certain.
The #8,669 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 81,463 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McKim is a Gaelic patronymic surname, with the prefix Mac meaning “son of.” The second element is less certain; in surname tradition it is often treated as a shortened personal name, sometimes linked to Kim or to a Gaelic name that has been reduced over time. Because the old sources only mention the name incidentally, the precise original forename is not firmly established.
History
The surname is found in Scotland and in Irish or Ulster contexts, where Gaelic Mac surnames were often anglicized in shortened or simplified forms. In later records it appears in forms such as McKim and MacKim, alongside related spellings with McKim-/MacKimmie-like shapes. It remains a relatively uncommon surname today, especially compared with larger Mac- surname families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The spelling with Mc- is just one of several ways Gaelic Mac surnames were rendered in English records, so the same family could appear under different forms in different documents.
From the historical record
“Jackson. triAC Sim, MacKim ; Simson, Simpson, Sims, etc. rriAC SimiT), MacKimmie ; Fraser. triAC Sio-OA, MacSheedy, Sheedy. ITlAc SiopfAix), MacShufrey, &c.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames