Makar
A Russian masculine name derived from the Greek name Makarios, meaning "blessed".
Name Census estimates that about 190 living Americans carry the first name Makar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Makar today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makar births was 2024 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makar. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Makar with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
190
~ 1 in 1,803,970 Americans
Peak year
2024
24 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,375
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Makar: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Makar 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 104 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Makar remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Makar 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 Makar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Makars live
Origin
Meaning and history of Makar
The name Makar has its roots in the Slavic languages, with its origins traced back to the Old Church Slavonic word "makaru" or "maker," meaning "blessed" or "fortunate." This name was prevalent in the region stretching from Eastern Europe to the Balkans during the medieval period.
One of the earliest known references to the name Makar can be found in the Prologue, a collection of hagiographies (biographies of saints) in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, dating back to the 12th century. The text mentions Saint Makar of Alexandria, a 4th-century Christian martyr who was revered for his unwavering faith and steadfastness in the face of persecution.
In the 15th century, Makar Yefimovich Dementiev, a prominent Russian diplomat and statesman, served as an ambassador to the Holy Roman Empire during the reign of Ivan III. His diplomatic skills contributed to strengthening Russia's relations with Western European powers.
Another notable figure bearing this name was Makar Semyonovich Naryshkin (1633-1715), a Russian boyar (nobleman) and diplomat who played a crucial role in the consolidation of the Romanov dynasty. He was a trusted advisor to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and served as a tutor to the young Peter the Great.
In the realm of literature, Makar Chudra (1773-1845) was a renowned Ukrainian poet and writer who made significant contributions to the development of the Ukrainian language and literature during the early 19th century. His works, such as the poem "Natalka Poltavka," were instrumental in preserving and promoting Ukrainian cultural identity.
Makar Grigoryevich Melenevsky (1784-1838) was a Russian naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions. His voyages contributed valuable geographical and scientific knowledge, expanding our understanding of the Arctic territories.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who bore the name Makar, demonstrating its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Makar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makar 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
Makar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 190 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makar 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 1,803,970 US residents.
Is Makar a common name?
We classify Makar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 191 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makar most popular?
The single biggest year for Makar was 2024, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makar is about 8 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 Makar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Makar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makar 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 Makar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Makar 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 Makar 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 Makar?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.