Macaire
A French masculine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from Gaelic.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Macaire. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 50.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Macaire today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Macaire births was 1980 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Macaire. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Macaire. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1980
5 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2008 SSA rank
#11,400
Tracked since 1980
Gender
Gender distribution for Macaire
Macaire is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 10 total registrations, 5 (50.0%) were male and 5 (50.0%) were female.
Macaire as a male name
- Ranked #13,810 in 2008
- 5 male births in 2008
- Peak: 2008 (5 births)
Macaire as a female name
- Ranked #11,400 in 1980
- 5 female births in 1980
- Peak: 1980 (5 births)
Popularity
Macaire: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Macaire from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Macaire 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 Macaire 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 Macaire
The given name Macaire is of French origin, derived from the Latin name Macharius, which itself is derived from the Greek word "makarios" meaning "blessed" or "happy." The name first appeared in the medieval period, particularly in the regions of France and parts of Western Europe.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Macaire can be found in the 12th-century French epic poem "The Song of Roland," where it is mentioned as the name of a villain, a Saracen king. In this work, Macaire is portrayed as a deceitful and cunning character, which may have influenced the perception of the name in subsequent centuries.
The name Macaire gained further prominence in the 13th-century French fabliaux, a collection of satirical and comical tales. One of the most famous characters in these stories is a roguish figure named Macaire, who is known for his mischievous and cunning nature. This character became a popular archetype in French literature and folklore, contributing to the association of the name with trickery and deception.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Macaire was a 5th-century Christian saint, Saint Macaire of Ghent (born c. 490), who is venerated in the Catholic Church. He is known for his missionary work and for establishing a monastery in present-day Belgium.
Another historical figure with the name Macaire was Macaire de Sainte-Opportune (c. 1050 - c. 1115), a French poet and cleric who served as the canon of the Cathedral of Saint-Opportune in Paris. He is known for his satirical and humorous writings, which were popular in his time.
In the 16th century, there was a French playwright and actor named Macaire (c. 1550 - c. 1622), who was renowned for his comedic performances and his portrayal of the character Macaire, the cunning and deceitful rogue from the French fabliaux.
During the 17th century, a notable figure with the name Macaire was Macaire de Chassault (1600 - 1676), a French lawyer and magistrate who served as the president of the Parliament of Paris. He was known for his legal expertise and his role in the administration of justice during the reign of Louis XIV.
In the 19th century, a French dramatist and novelist named Frédéric Lemaître (1800 - 1876) popularized the character of Macaire, the roguish hero from the French fabliaux, through his plays and performances. His portrayal of Macaire as a charming but deceitful character became a cultural icon in France during that period.
People
Macaire + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Macaire 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
Macaire: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Macaire?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Macaire 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Macaire a common name?
We classify Macaire as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Macaire most popular?
The single biggest year for Macaire was 1980, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Macaire is about 30 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 Macaire in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Macaire a female name?
Yes, 50.0% of people registered as Macaire in the SSA data are female. 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 Macaire still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Macaire 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 Macaire 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 people are called Macaire?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.