Machaela
A feminine name with multiple origins meaning "one who is like God".
Name Census estimates that about 409 living Americans carry the first name Machaela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Machaela today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Machaela births was 1997 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Machaela. 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
409
~ 1 in 838,030 Americans
Peak year
1997
44 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2012 SSA rank
#18,497
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Machaela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Machaela from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 208 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Machaela 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 Machaela 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 Machaela
The given name Machaela is of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name Michael, meaning "who is like God." The name can be traced back to the ancient Israelites and the Hebrew Bible, where Michael is depicted as an archangel and a leader of the heavenly host.
In the Middle Ages, the name Michael gained widespread popularity across Europe, particularly in regions with strong Christian traditions. Variations of the name emerged, including Michiel, Michal, and Machael, which eventually led to the formation of the feminine form, Machaela.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Machaela can be found in medieval German chronicles from the 13th century, where it was used as a feminine variant of Michael. During this period, the name was primarily associated with women from noble or aristocratic families.
Notable historical figures bearing the name Machaela include Machaela von Sternberg (1564-1632), a German noblewoman and landowner known for her philanthropic efforts. In the 16th century, Machaela Fiorelli (1525-1589), an Italian nun and mystic, gained recognition for her spiritual writings and devotion to the Virgin Mary.
In the realm of literature, Machaela appears as a character in the 17th-century play "The Rover" by Aphra Behn, one of the earliest professional female writers in English literature. The play, set in Naples, features Machaela as a passionate and strong-willed woman who defies societal conventions.
During the Renaissance, the name Machaela was particularly popular in Italy, where it was often associated with artists and intellectuals. One notable figure was Machaela Merisi (1595-1670), an Italian painter renowned for her striking depictions of biblical and mythological scenes.
In more recent history, Machaela Baxter (1878-1962), an Australian politician and social reformer, made significant contributions to women's rights and political representation in the early 20th century.
While the name Machaela has its roots in Hebrew and biblical tradition, its use has transcended cultural and geographic boundaries, appearing in various forms throughout history and across different regions.
People
Machaela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Machaela 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
Machaela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Machaela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 409 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Machaela 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 838,030 US residents.
Is Machaela a common name?
We classify Machaela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 419 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Machaela most popular?
The single biggest year for Machaela was 1997, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Machaela is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Machaela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Machaela 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.
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.