Makaleb
A masculine name of Ethiopian origin, meaning "Word of God".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Makaleb. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Makaleb today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makaleb births was 2009 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makaleb. 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 Makaleb. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2009
6 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#11,916
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Makaleb: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Makaleb 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 Makaleb 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 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Makaleb
The name Makaleb has its roots in ancient Semitic languages and cultures of the Middle East. It is believed to have originated from the Aramaic word "makleb," which means "faithful" or "steadfast." The earliest known use of this name dates back to the 4th century BCE, when it was recorded in ancient texts from the region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Makaleb was a prominent scholar and philosopher from the city of Palmyra, located in modern-day Syria. This Makaleb lived in the 3rd century CE and was renowned for his contributions to the study of Aramaic literature and culture.
In the 7th century CE, a notable figure named Makaleb ibn Abi Sufra was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and participated in several significant battles during the early Islamic era. He is mentioned in historical accounts of the time and is remembered for his bravery and devotion to the faith.
During the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled from the 8th to the 13th century, a distinguished poet and writer named Makaleb al-Basri gained recognition for his works. He was born in Basra, Iraq, in the late 8th century and is known for his contributions to Arabic literature.
In the 11th century, a prominent physician and scholar named Makaleb al-Razi hailed from the city of Rayy, located in modern-day Iran. He made significant contributions to the fields of medicine and philosophy, and his writings were widely studied in the Islamic world.
Another notable figure with the name Makaleb was a renowned calligrapher and artist from the 14th century. Makaleb al-Baghdadi was born in Baghdad and is celebrated for his intricate and beautiful calligraphic works, which adorned numerous manuscripts and architectural structures of the time.
The name Makaleb has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various fields, including scholars, warriors, poets, and artists. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Semitic cultures, and it has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, carrying the meaning of faithfulness and steadfastness.
People
Makaleb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makaleb 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
Makaleb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makaleb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makaleb 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Makaleb a common name?
We classify Makaleb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makaleb most popular?
The single biggest year for Makaleb was 2009, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makaleb is about 17 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 Makaleb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Makaleb a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makaleb 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 Makaleb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Makaleb 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 Makaleb 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 named Makaleb?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Makaleb at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.