Unisex · #5,124 in 2026

Makana

Makana is a mountain located on northern shore of the island of Kauaʻi, where it rises 1,115 feet (340 m) above Limahuli Valley. Makana is a Hawaiian language term meaning gift or reward. It is often used as a person's name or as part of a name. Limahuli Garden and Preserve preserves the valley below.

Current Rank
#5,124
Peak Rank
#3,681 (2016)
Total Babies
535
5-Yr Trend
+62%
👧 Girl peak #6,055 (369 total)
👦 Boy peak #3,681 (535 total)
👦As Boy Name
1986
First Year
2026
Last Year
2016
Peak Year
#3681
Peak Rank
535
Total Count
35
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1994
First Year
2026
Last Year
2003
Peak Year
#6055
Peak Rank
369
Total Count
33
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Makana

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Makana is a mountain located on northern shore of the island of Kauaʻi, where it rises 1,115 feet (340 m) above Limahuli Valley. Makana is a Hawaiian language term meaning gift or reward. It is often used as a person's name or as part of a name. Limahuli Garden and Preserve preserves the valley below.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Makana

As a girl name

Makana first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1994, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 19 Makanas were born — ranking #6,055 that year. As of 2026, Makana ranks #6,632 for girls with 17 births, rising sharply (+49% over the past five years). In total, more than 369 Makanas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Makana first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1986, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 29 Makanas were born — ranking #3,681 that year. As of 2026, Makana ranks #5,124 for boys with 19 births, rising sharply (+62% over the past five years). In total, more than 535 Makanas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Makana

Phonetically similar names — useful when Makana is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Makana

What does the name Makana mean?
Makana is a mountain located on northern shore of the island of Kauaʻi, where it rises 1,115 feet (340 m) above Limahuli Valley. Makana is a Hawaiian language term meaning gift or reward. It is often used as a person's name or as part of a name. Limahuli Garden and Preserve preserves the valley below.
How popular is Makana in 2026?
In 2026, Makana ranks #5,124 among boys' names in the U.S., with 19 babies given the name that year.
When was Makana most popular?
Makana reached its peak popularity in 2016, ranking #3,681 that year with 29 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Makana most popular?
Makana has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Nevada, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Makana.
Is Makana a unisex name?
Yes — Makana is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 41% of Makanas assigned female and 59% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Makana?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Makana include Alray, Bolling, Claven. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Makana

Makana is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1986 and has accumulated 535 births in the dataset. Makana's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #3,681. Use the chart and map above to compare Makana's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.