Girl · #17,634 in 2026

Makhala

Name: Popularity of the name Makhala in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Makhala, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

A mahalla is an Arabic word that comes from the root ḥ-l-l, and originally denoted a place where one makes a halt. It has been variously translated as district, quarter, ward, or neighborhood in many parts of the Arab world, the Balkans, West and Central Asia, the South Asia, and nearby nations.

Current Rank

#17,634

Peak Rank

#10,836 (1997)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1995

First Year

2007

Last Year

1997

Peak Year

#10836

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Makhala

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

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

Origin & history

Historically, mahallas were autonomous social institutions built around familial ties and Islamic rituals. Today it is popularly recognised also by non-Muslims as a neighbourhood in large cities and towns. Mahallas lie at the intersection of private family life and the public sphere. Important community-level management functions are performed through mahalle solidarity, such as religious ceremonies, life-cycle rituals, resource management and conflict resolution. It is an official administrative unit in many Middle Eastern countries. The word was brought to the Balkans through Ottoman Turkish

The Story of Makhala

The earliest SSA record of Makhala as a baby girl name dates back to 1995, when 6 babies received it. 1997 was its biggest year on record, with 7 newborns named Makhala — #10,836 in the national rankings. About 58% of every Makhala on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Makhala last appeared in the published SSA data in 2007, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 48 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Makhala

Phonetically similar names — useful when Makhala 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 Makhala

What does the name Makhala mean?

How popular is Makhala in 2026?

In 2026, Makhala ranks #17,634 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Makhala most popular?

Makhala reached its peak popularity in 1997, ranking #10,836 that year with 7 babies given the name.

Is Makhala a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Makhala is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Makhala?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Makhala include Jesie, Gaelen, Cherub. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Makhala

Makhala is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1995 and has accumulated 48 births in the dataset. Makhala's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #10,836. Use the chart and map above to compare Makhala'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.