Makela
Mäkelä is a surname originating in Finland, where it is the fifth most common surname. Notable people with the surname include:Aleksi Mäkelä, multiple people Hannu Mäkelä, multiple people Mikko Mäkelä, multiple people Santeri Mäkelä (1870–1939), Finnish politician Lauri Mäkelä (1885–1947), Finnish farmer and politician Toini Mäkelä (1895–1973), Finnish socialist revolutionary and military…
Meaning & Origin of Makela
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Mäkelä is a surname originating in Finland, where it is the fifth most common surname. Notable people with the surname include:Aleksi Mäkelä, multiple people Hannu Mäkelä, multiple people Mikko Mäkelä, multiple people Santeri Mäkelä (1870–1939), Finnish politician Lauri Mäkelä (1885–1947), Finnish farmer and politician Toini Mäkelä (1895–1973), Finnish socialist revolutionary and military…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Makela
Makela first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1970, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 19 Makelas were born — ranking #5,065 that year. As of 2026, Makela ranks #14,119 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 292 Makelas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Makela
Phonetically similar names — useful when Makela 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 Makela
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About the name Makela
Makela is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 292 births in the dataset. Makela's peak popularity came in 1996 when it ranked #5,065. Use the chart and map above to compare Makela's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1996 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.