Makena
Makena is a name with a single cultural origin: Kikuyu.
- Kikuyu
Meaning & Origin of Makena
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Makena is a name with a single cultural origin: Kikuyu.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Kikuyu
The Story of Makena
The earliest SSA record of Makena as a baby girl name dates back to 1984, when 7 babies received it. 2005 was its biggest year on record, with 381 newborns named Makena — #717 in the national rankings. About 44% of every Makena on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Makena ranks #2,053 for baby girls with 95 births, falling sharply (-34%). All told, over 7K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Where is Makena most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- Kenya80%
- South Africa13%
- NA4%
- Norway1%
- TZ1%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Makena
Phonetically similar names — useful when Makena 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 Makena
What does the name Makena mean?
What is the origin of the name Makena?
How popular is Makena in 2026?
When was Makena most popular?
In which U.S. states is Makena most popular?
Is Makena a unisex name?
What names go well with Makena?
About the name Makena
Makena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Makena's peak popularity came in 2005 when it ranked #717. Use the chart and map above to compare Makena's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2005 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- 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.