Macai
A masculine name of Navajo origin, it means "born during a certain ceremony".
Name Census estimates that about 234 living Americans carry the first name Macai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Macai today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Macai births was 2021 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Macai. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
234
~ 1 in 1,464,762 Americans
Peak year
2021
19 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,049
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Macai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Macai from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 137 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Macai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Macai by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Macai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Macai
The given name Macai is a relatively uncommon name with disputed origins. One theory traces its roots to the Māori language, where "mā" means "light" or "white," and "kai" means "food" or "sustenance." In this context, Macai could have been interpreted as "light sustenance" or "white food," possibly referring to a staple food source.
Another potential origin lies in the Slavic languages, where "mak" is a root word meaning "poppy." In this case, Macai might have been a name given to someone associated with poppy cultivation or the opium trade. However, this connection is tenuous and lacks substantial historical evidence.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Macai are found in medieval European records, primarily in regions with strong Slavic influence. One notable bearer of the name was Macai of Novgorod, a 12th-century Russian monk and scribe renowned for his calligraphic skills and illuminated manuscripts.
In the 16th century, Macai Geronimo was a prominent Italian explorer and cartographer who accompanied several expeditions to the Americas. His detailed maps and journals provided invaluable insights into the geography and cultures of the New World.
During the 17th century, Macai Ravenswood was a Scottish nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. His leadership and strategic acumen were instrumental in several key battles against English forces.
In the 19th century, Macai Kalākaua was the last reigning king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His reign was marked by efforts to revive and preserve Hawaiian culture, language, and traditions, as well as attempts to maintain the island nation's independence amid growing foreign influence.
Another notable figure was Macai Abelló, a Spanish painter and sculptor active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works, which often depicted scenes from daily life and traditional customs, are celebrated for their vibrant colors and intricate details.
While the name Macai has appeared sporadically throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon, perhaps due to its ambiguous origins and lack of widespread cultural significance. Nevertheless, the individuals who have borne this name have left their mark across various fields and regions, contributing to the rich tapestry of human endeavor.
People
Macai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Macai as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Macai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Macai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 234 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Macai going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,464,762 US residents.
Is Macai a common name?
We classify Macai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 236 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Macai most popular?
The single biggest year for Macai was 2021, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Macai is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Macai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Macai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Macai in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Macai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Macai in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Macai can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Macai?
See how many people have the name Macai on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.