Makal
A feminine Arabic name meaning "food" or "sustenance".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Makal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Makal today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makal births was 2005 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makal. 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 Makal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2005
7 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2005 SSA rank
#9,758
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Makal: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Makal 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 Makal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Makal
The name Makal is believed to have its origins in ancient Semitic languages, particularly in the Phoenician and Aramaic cultures of the Middle East. It is thought to be derived from the Phoenician word "malkah," meaning "queen" or "sovereign." This suggests that the name was initially associated with royalty and leadership.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Makal can be found in the Bible. In the Book of Jeremiah, there is a reference to a person named "Malcham," which is believed to be a variation of the name Makal. This mention dates back to around the 6th century BCE, indicating the antiquity of the name's usage.
During the Byzantine era, the name Makal gained popularity among Christian communities in the Middle East. It was particularly common in regions such as modern-day Syria and Lebanon. Historical records from this period mention several individuals bearing the name, although their exact identities remain obscure.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Makal ibn al-Rashid emerged as a prominent physician and scholar in the Islamic world. He authored several medical treatises and was highly regarded for his contributions to the field of medicine during that time.
Another historical figure associated with the name Makal is Makal al-Dimashqi, a 13th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer from Damascus. He is credited with making significant advancements in the study of algebra and trigonometry, and his works were widely referenced by scholars of his era.
Moving forward in time, the name Makal found its way into the annals of Ottoman history. In the 16th century, there was a prominent Ottoman military commander named Makal Pasha, who played a crucial role in the Ottoman campaigns against the Safavid Empire in Persia.
While the name Makal has its roots in the ancient Middle Eastern cultures, it has also been adopted and adapted by various other civilizations over the centuries. The name's association with royalty, leadership, and scholarship has likely contributed to its enduring appeal and usage throughout history.
People
Makal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makal 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
Makal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makal 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Makal a common name?
We classify Makal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makal most popular?
The single biggest year for Makal was 2005, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makal is about 21 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 Makal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Makal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makal 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 Makal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Makal 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 Makal 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 Makal?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.