This is an ancient Scottish name, found particularly in Stirlingshire since as far back as the 15th Century. It is one of the Anglicized forms of the Gaelic name "Mac Aodha", a patronymic form of the personal name "Aodh", "fire", originally the name of a pagan god, the whole name thus meaning "son (mac) of Aodh". The name is first recorded in Scotland in 1491 in the Records of the Monastery at Scone, where William Makke appears as a charter witness. One Andrew Makky was a Burgess of Stirling in 1574. The Galloway family of Mackies enjoyed great prosperity and influence in the 16th Century and the first half of the 17th Century, and were enthusiastic supporters of the Covenanters, the defenders of Presbyterianism. One Thomas Mackie, brother of Robert Mackie, a merchant in Forres, Morayshire, is recorded as being employed as a saddler in the town of Tonquier, Virginia, U.S.A., in 1767. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Cucail Mac Aedha, which was dated 1098, in "Moore's, Manx Names", during the reign of King Edgar of Scotland, 1097 - 1107. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.